Bruises on a Woman
by AmberKog
Summary: Inuyasha finds a woman who looks like she is in a bad situation, he tries to help her but is that enough?AU. I have incorporated many characters! Trigger warning: This story has violence, rape, and other similar triggers. Please take caution when reading if you are prone to triggers. FINALLY UPDATED AND COMPLETED!
1. Ch 1 - Meeting in a Forest

Bruises on a Woman

Chapter One – Meet in the Forest

A/N - This is an alternate universe. This takes place nowhere in particular, but I do live in Texas so it has a lot of American influence, sorry. Trigger warning: This story has violence, rape, and other similar triggers. Please take caution when reading if you are prone to triggers.

The sun rose on this little town, awaking all the people to rise out of bed and get to work. Everyone was busy getting children up, going out to their fields to farm, or just simply going on about their daily chores. Inuyasha was seventeen and wanted anything but responsibility. He was supposed to be working on the farm with his friend Miroku. He looked to the forest just outside of town, he often like to escape there and hide from his duties of work. He quickly scanned around to see if anyone was watching and he took off. He walked around picking up a stick and swinging it around as he walked. He found his spot there by his favorite tree. He sat down in his light blue jeans. He wore a bright red shirt and had on wrist bands on his left hand. He had white blonde hair that was cut short around his face, his bangs cutting off right at his eyes and the back falling around the top of his neck. He tossed the stick in the air, flipping it and catching it. He heard someone walking in the forest and froze. "Who's there?" He looked around and didn't see anyone. "Miroku if that's you I'm not going to work today. Tell the boss I'm taking the day off!" He said leaning back and continuing to toss the stick. Suddenly a girl stepped from behind a tree.

She had long black hair with bangs that also went to her eyes. She had on a long brown skirt and a white long sleeve button down that had a dark brown vest laying over. Her clothes fit her snuggly but covered her entire body. It was the middle of summer and almost 90 degrees outside.

"Hi, there." He started, she just looked at him nervously "I'm Inuyasha what's your name?" She just stood there and he began to stand and she backed up, "I'm not gonna hurt ya…" He said stopping. He sat back down and reached his arm out pointing his palm to the empty space around him "You can sit here if you'd like…" She slowly walked over and sat down. "I don't think I've ever seen you around the village, are you from around here?"

She looked at him still nervous, "I'm from outside the village." She whispered shyly

"Oh, do you come here often? To the forest I mean." He said propping his arm on his knee.

"I try to, I usually come here, I love this tree." She said looking up at the tree behind him.

"I know! I love it! It's so tall and big! It has to be like five hundred years old!" He said looking up.

She giggled covering her mouth. He looked back down at her and smiled she looked so thin, and pale.

"Are you okay? You've got to be hot in that?" she said

Kagome looked down and shrugged "I'm fine." He didn't believe her.

"Are you hungry?" He asked looking at her thin stomach and sunk in cheeks. She looked up at him with big eyes when he said that, "I can go get us some food."

She shook her head "You don't have to…."

"Nonsense, give me 10 minutes!" He jumped up "Wait here." He ran off.

She watched him leave and held her stomach, it had been almost two days since she's eaten. She was so hot in these heavy clothes. She rolled up her sleeves and revealed the cuts and bruises all up her arms. She looked down at them in hate. Hate of herself and hate of him. She lifted her skirt slightly letting the breeze cool her legs, she heard steps and quickly covered herself again. She hid behind the tree as her heart rate increased.

"Hey, girl, are you here?" Inuyasha called. Did she leave? Just as he was about to go walking through the forest looking for her she peeked her head around the corner. "There you are, I got some food!" He put down a basket on the floor with fruit and vegetables in it and a few pieces of meat. She smiled and sat down. "Dig in!" He said grabbing some grapes. She started to eat some of the grapes as well. By the rate she was eating them he could tell she was starving. "Here, have some meat." He said handing her the pork him and Miroku were saving for dinner tonight. She smiled and began to eat it. Inuyasha ate some of the food so she wouldn't feel like she was eating all his food but left most of it for her. "So, can I know your name now?"

She looked up at him and swallowed her bite that was in her mouth "I'm sorry, my name is Kagome." She reached for another piece of pork.

He watched her eat looking as if she hadn't eaten in days "Are you okay? You look like you haven't eaten in a while…"

She looked down and put down the piece of fruit in her hand. "I'm sorry."

"No, no, please eat." He said pushing the basket to her she looked up at him and hesitantly took another bite. "Do your parents not feed you?"

She looked down.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to…" He said.

"I don't live with my parents….they died when I was little. I live with my godfather. Apparently he used to be my mom's best friend. I don't eat much at home." She said getting to the point before she started to ramble.

"I'm sorry," he said looking at her sadly "well, tell you what you come here every day around this time and I will bring you food!" He said.

At his words she looked up at him hopeful. "You don't have to do that! Really!"

"It's no problem Kagome!" He said looking at the basket. "I'll bring what I can every day!"

Kagome looked up at the sky and noticed the sun was at the peak of the sky "I have to go!" She said standing

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Inuyasha asked

"I will meet you here tomorrow, same time" She smiled and took off running.


	2. Ch 2 - Clean the House

Ch 2 – Clean the House

Kagome made it home before he did. She snuck in through her window and sat back down on bed. She starred at her bare walls and thought of the boy she just met. He was so caring, he really seemed to want to help her. He said he would bring her food but we'll just see how long that lasts. Hopefully she can sneak out again tomorrow. He always leaves into town every morning, that's when she usually sneaks out. She walks in the forest for some fresh air and tries to find some wild berries. She sighed remembering the one time she tried to run away. He found her in just a couple of hours, she shook when she remembered her punishment for running away. Just then she heard someone walk into the door and shook with fear. Step, step, step, he was making his way to her room. BAM! The door swung open. "Alright, get out here!" He said, Kagome stood up slowly and he stormed up to her and grabbed her hair, "I said to move!" he shouted pulling her into the hallway. "Okay, if you want to eat tonight then I expect this place clean by the time the sun goes down. If you clean it to my liking you can eat. If you don't, I will just have to punish you again." Kagome began to shake and quickly got to work cleaning.

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"Well, well, look who decided to show up to work!" Said Miroku tossing a rake to Inuyasha "You can start with that!" He said smiling at his friend.

"What did you tell the boss?" Inuyasha said grinning as he caught the rake.

"I told them, my best friend is a lazy bum who doesn't want to grow up!" He laughed

"Yeah, yeah, for real though" He said beginning to rake the landscape.

"I told them you were sick last night and didn't feel good this morning and that I didn't know if you'd be in for work."

"Thanks," Inuyasha said as he looked around "looks like you got a lot done. Trying to impress someone?" He cocked an eye brown

"I don't know what you're talking about, this is a normal amount of work for a man. But I don't expect you to know anything about that Peter-Pan!" He said tossing a hose at his friend "Come on, help me water the crops."

They walked over to the rows of vegetables "So what were you doing all morning?" Miroku asked watering the plants.

"I went to the forest to relax. I met this girl there." He said watering the row beside his friend.

"You met a girl in the forest?" He asked surprised

"Yeah, she looked like she was staving so I brought her some food." Inuyasha said, he face got serious remembering how sunk in her cheeks were.

Miroku picked up on his serious face, Inuyasha was never serious, something was up. "What do you mean starving?"

"It looked like she hadn't eaten in days, her face was sunk in, her cheeks, her eyes…It was bad." Inuyasha said in his most serious tone.

"Just her face?" He asked

"I couldn't see the rest of her, she was wearing long winter clothes." He said looking at his friend

"Hmm. Something sounds off." He said. They both heard someone approaching at got quiet. It was the boss's daughter. She had Straight bangs and her hair was in a long low pony tail. She had on a pink blouse and blue jean shorts that went across her waist and rounded across her butt perfectly.

"I thought you two might be thirsty, or at least one of you" She giggled handing them glasses of ice tea. "I saw you come up a minute ago, are you feeling better?" She asked eyeing Inuyasha, she knew he would play hooky often and Miroku always covered for him. The boys took the drinks and she walked away. Miroku eyed her butt as she walked back up to the house.

"You're a pig" Inuyasha said shaking his head at Miroku

"Call me what you want, I'm a man." He said, turning back to the work at hand.

They boys finished their work and began to walk home "So tell me more about this girl?" Miroku asked filling the silence.

"She was really pretty, but something just seemed off. She said she doesn't eat at home so I'm going to start taking her food." Inuyasha said, it was a statement, he wasn't asking for permission. Miroku nodded.

"Do her parents, you think…" Miroku said not knowing how to finish the sentence.

"Her parents died, she lives with her mother's friend, but I'm telling you Miroku something's not right here."

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The sun began to go down and Kagome was rushing to finish the house, it looked perfect but she knew he would find something. The sun was setting too fast, her stomach flipped and he opened his bedroom door. "Kagome! This house better be spotless!" He came down stairs and looked around. "You call this clean?!" He said glaring at her. "I'll have to punish you good this time!" She began to shake "Stand up." She slowly rose her knees wobbling. He threw a beer bottle at her and it smash on the wall behind her "I SAID STAND DAMNIT!" She quickly stood up and he walked over to her. "You're gonna pay for making me waste my beer!" He grabbed her by the neck and hit her against the wall. She shook with fear and began to cry, he leaned in and began to lick her cheek, "You're tears taste wonderful" He said, putting his hand on her chest. His fingers wrapped around her shirt and he began to tug it off. Kagome put her hand over her chest when he pulled off her top, this enraged him further. SLAP! He hit her hard across the face and she dropped her hands he yanked off her skirt and under garments.

"Please no…." she whispered

"What was that Kagome, I didn't hear you…" He laughed, "no one can!" He pulled her to the floor and forced himself on her.


	3. Ch 3 - Late

Ch 3 – Late

Inuyasha was sitting there with his basket of food under the tree. He saw Kagome approaching "Hey! I was afraid you wouldn't come" He called to her. She smiled and sat down "I have a lot today, some strawberries, corn, some beef jerky, and a lot of grapes, I noticed they were your favorite yesterday." She smiled at him and they began to eat. Inuyasha didn't know how to ask the questions that rang in his mind.

"Thank you for the food. I was so hungry" She said in her usual gentle tone.

"No problem…." He said smiling at her "Kagome," He started "If anything is going on, I want you to know you can tell me."

Kagome thought about this, she knew it was a bad idea. If anyone found out….If he found out she told anyone…no this was to remain a secret to the grave. "Everything is fine." She said to him.

He knew it wasn't true, there was more going on….but what. "Do you want to come over to my house tonight?" he asked hoping to get to the bottom of this.

"No, I need to leave soon" She said looking at the sky, the sun was rising to the mid sky fast.

"Can't you stay a while longer?" Inuyasha pressed.

"I really can't, I'm sorry." She said taking another bite of the beef jerky.

"My friend Miroku wants to meet you, I told him I ran into you yesterday." He said leaning back against the tree. This made her nervous. No one was supposed to know about her.

"Well, maybe one day," She said bluffing she stood up and noticed the sun was mid sky. "I must leave now." He stood up to hug her but she already took off.

Inuyasha walked back to the village slowly, it was the weekend and he and Miroku had the day off. He passed through the marked at found Kaede's hut. He tapped on the door lightly looking around to see if anyone saw him. The door opened and revealed and old woman who smiled at him "Inuyasha, how have you been?" Kaede was friends with his mother and he stopped by to check on her every once in a while ever since his mother passed away a year ago.

"I'm fine, I was wondering if you could tell be about someone who lives outside the village?" He said sitting down on her couch. She walked over and sat next to him.

"Inuyasha, I know of most people in the village but I don't know hardly anyone outside of it…" She said picking up on his worried features.

"Do you know of anyone named Kagome?" He asked

Kaede pondered and said "I did once, but she died years ago. Her and her parents died in a bad accident."

"What happened?"

"I believe they went out on a boat ride and got attacked by a shark. None of them survived." She said looking at the floor. "Kagome was only about three I believe."

"But you don't know of anyone else by that name?" He asked. She shook her head looking down. "Alright, well thanks anyway. Do you need anything from the market while I'm here?"

She shook her head again "No, I'm fine, go enjoy your weekend."

Inuyasha left and started heading back home.

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Kagome got back to the house and saw him sitting on the porch waiting for her. She was too late. He lifted his hand and moved his finger for her to come toward him. He walked inside and she followed. He grabbed her by the hair and threw her onto the kitchen floor "WHERE THE FUCK WERE YOU?" He screamed, she covered her face and shook. He looked around and picked up a knife. He grabbed her neck and pulled her on her feet "When I ask you a question, you ANSWER ME!" he yelled holding up the knife.

"I…I just went for a walk!" She choked out.

"You're a liar." He said coldly. "Where did you go?" He said placing the blade on her cheek.

"I swear, I just went for a walk, I just wanted some air" She said shaking in fear

His eyes narrowed and he pushed the blade on her skin and slowly tore a scar on her face. "Never leave again." He punched her in the stomach and she crashed over and onto his arm. He carried her up stairs and threw her carelessly in her room. He locked the door and hammered a deadbolt on the hallway side of the door. She looked at her window and saw he put stainless steel bars on it. She touched her cheek and looked at her fingers, she was bleeding bad, there was nothing she could do but hold it. She laid on the torn mattress she called her bed and curled up in a ball and cried herself silently to sleep.


	4. Ch 4 - Where Is She?

Ch 4 – Where Is She?

The next morning Inuyasha was in the kitchen getting Kagome's lunch together.

"Do you think I could go with you Inuyasha?" Miroku asked. "Maybe the two of us can get her to open up."

"I don't know, she is very shy, and looks like she is always afraid of something." Inuyasha said thinking of how Kagome might react to meeting someone new.

"How about I tag along and if you think she is uncomfortable I will leave." He said

"No, let me just go alone and I'll talk to her about you coming tomorrow." Inuyasha said, Miroku nodded then stopped

"Tomorrow is work! Or are you skipping out again?" Miroku asked

"Dude, priorities, I'm going to make sure Kagome gets food!" Inuyasha said offended.

"Oh, right…sorry. Yeah ask her and if it's okay I'll come."

Inuyasha closed the basket and left. He walked to his place under the tree and waited. And waited. And waited. She was late but he tried not to get worried, she could've gotten held up. Finally the sun was at mid sky and it was the time she usually had to go. He thought about looking for her but shook his head. 'I'm probably worrying about nothing, I'm sure I'll see her tomorrow…' he thought.

He came home and Miroku saw him set the full basket on the kitchen counter "What happened?"

"She never showed up…" Inuyasha said turning to him

"I'm sure she just got stuck at home, doing chores or something…" He tried to reassure his friend but they both had a sick feeling in their stomachs. Inuyasha didn't sleep that night.

The next morning he grabbed the basket and left for the forest. Miroku was already at work and he knew he would cover for him again. He really was a good friend. Inuyasha sat down and waited.

The rose to the top of the sky. "Something's not right" He said standing up, he started walking with the basket in hand. He looked all around the forest, after an hour of walking blindly through the forest he found a house "I bet that's it" He looked around, it had to be her house, it's the only house for miles outside of the village. He snuck up to the window and peaked in. He saw a man sitting on the couch. He had long black hair that went all the way down his back, he was pale skinned and had dark eyes. He had on pajama bottoms and nothing covering his chest. He moved around the house and saw a room with bars on the window, it was on the second floor but luckily there was a tree right beside it, Inuyasha climbed up the tree and looked inside. There she was. She was laying on the bed she was wearing the same clothes again…he gently tapped on the window and she jumped. She walked up and looked at him through the bars. She had a giant cut on her cheek. Inuyasha looked around the bars and cursed to himself. She placed her hand on the window glass. She didn't say a word in fear she'd be heard she covered her mouth with her finger and pointed down stairs. Inuyasha first instinct was to start bashing stuff until he got her free but he knew this guy was probably dangerous and didn't want to endanger Kagome any further. She turned her head to look at the door and Inuyasha saw new bruises on her neck, she turned back to face him, she looked worried. He covered his mouth with his finger mimicking her motion earlier and mouthed 'I'll be back, just wait' and carefully and quietly got out of the tree and raced back to the village.

He ran up to the farm him and Miroku worked and grabbed his shoulder. Miroku was in the middle of hoeing the rows and turned to see Inuyasha flushed and out of breath, he grabbed his shoulders as well. "Inuyasha what's wrong?"

"Kagome, we have to save her!" He said panting "He has her, and he's hurting her!" He was breathing hard trying to catch his breath. Miroku nodded and followed him back into the forest.

"So what happened?" Miroku asked as they ran

"She didn't show up again so I went looking for her, I found her house…." He recalled the deep cut on her cheek "It's bad Miroku we need to get her out."

They stopped before the house "Inuyasha, it sounds like this guy is dangerous, what's our plan?" Miroku asked, bending over to catch his breath. He was in blue jeans and a flannel button down shirt, it was hardly running clothes.

"We go in there, kick his ass and get her out!" Inuyasha said bluntly

"Okay, um, good plan, now what if he has a gun or other weapons?" Miroku said being sarcastic at his friends rash thinking.

"Then let's not let him get to us" he said, just then they heard a scream come from the house and ran up to the window, they peaked in and saw him grabbing Kagome at the top of the stairs with the basket in hand. Inuyasha's stomach sank, he left it outside her house without thinking. Just then they saw him lift her in the air and toss her down the stairs, she fell face down and blood began to pour on the floor.

"Let's go" Inuyasha said standing up and heading to the front door.

"Yes, let's not get reinforcements, he looks harmless" Miroku sarcastically said to himself following his friend.

Inuyasha tried the door but it was locked, he began to bang on the door. Trying to kick it in.

"Who's there" a dark voice called

"your worst nightmare, open up!" He yelled,

Miroku looked around for anything they could use to open the door. Just then the door unlocked and swung open. "Who..?"

BANG! A rock nailed him right in the head, Inuyasha looked at Miroku "Nice shot"

The man fell to the floor and Miroku grinned running in. Inuyasha got on top of him holding him down "Get Kagome out of here!"

The man began to fight Inuyasha off of him. As the two struggled, Miroku approached Kagome and shook her "Ma'am are you okay?"

No response. Miroku grabbed her arm "At least she has a pulse" He said picking up her unconscious body and running out of the door

"BRING BACK MY WHORE!" He shouted

"What did you say?!" Inuyasha said punching him square in the nose.

He threw him off and got up to his knees, trying to stand and go after Kagome, "Oh no you don't!" Inuyasha shouted grabbing a bloody knife on the table, "So you like cutting girls do you?!" He said stabbing him in the back, the man shouted falling back to the floor. Inuyasha jumped over him and took off after Miroku and Kagome. The man laid there on the floor trying to reach the knife. By the time he pulled it out of his back they were long gone. He pulled himself up and wobbled to the bathroom and started tending to his wounds.

"Damn them, they will not get away with this. I will get her back, and she will pay" He said wrapping up the wound on his back.

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"Lay her on the bed!" Inuyasha instructed heading toward the phone

"Who are you calling?" Miroku asked as he laid Kagome on the bed

"I'm calling Kaede, she'll know what to do" Inuyasha said looking at Kagome, she had a big gash on her head and the blood was still running out of it. "Will you put something on that? Try to keep the blood in" He said panicking with each ring that had no answer.

"Hello?" Finally Kaede answered

"Kaede, it's Inuyasha, can you get over here, I have a girl that's really hurt!" He said, she said she'd be right over and hung up. Inuyasha walked over to Kagome and held her hand "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner"

Miroku placed a warm rag on her head to hold in the blood. Inuyasha held it there and Miroku stood outside waiting for Kaede and watching for him.

Kaede finally came in "Where is she?" she asked

"Over here!" Inuyasha called out. Kaede came over with her bag

"This looks bad… We need a doctor Inuyasha." She said as she began to disinfect the wound and took out bandages to wrap her head.

"You're the best nurse I know. I trust you." Inuyasha said

"Then trust what I say, get the car ready we are taking her to the hospital now!" She commanded. Inuyasha ran outside and got the car started. Kaede drove and Inuyasha sat in the back with Kagome laying in his lap. Miroku rode in front with Kaede and kept looking back at them.

"Do you think she will make it?" Miroku asked,

"Yes, but she is severely hurt. You two should've taken her here in the first place!" She said scolding them.

Inuyasha just looked down at Kagome, guilt filling his stomach. Why hadn't he gone to her house yesterday? Why didn't he try to save her when he was there the first time? Why did he leave the basket there? It was all his fault she got hurt.


	5. Ch 5 - The Hospital

Ch 5 – The Hospital

Inuyasha sat in the hallway with Miroku while the doctor and Kaede were in the emergency room with Kagome. About an hour passed and Kaede came out of the room "She's going to be okay, but she is in bad shape now. The doctor is moving her to another room. She had bruises and cuts all over her body, what in God's name happened?"

"Her godfather, if you can even call him that, was beating her and depriving her of food." Inuyasha said, "Kaede, when we took her, the man that was keeping her called her…his whore…what does…does that…" Inuyasha couldn't say it.

"It appears it would be so, but she was so banged up its hard to tell. Where is this man now?" Kaede asked worried

"He is still at the house, once Kagome was gone I stabbed him with a knife and took off." Inuyasha said

"We will have to make sure she goes somewhere safe… we may have to move her far away…" Kaede said looking serious.

Inuyasha nodded "Can we see her?"

Kaede thought it over, this girl would be asleep for hours, but some visitors couldn't hurt. "That should be fine, but please be quiet, she needs rest as do the rest of the patients here."

Kaede walked them over to the room. Miroku looked at the clock on the wall "Inuyasha I'm gonna go home we have work in a couple hours, I'll tell the boss what happened. Will you be okay here?"

Inuyasha nodded. Miroku got up to leave, in the hallway he saw Kaede "Thank you Kaede for helping her, Inuyasha was very worried."

"That is my job. Miroku did I hear correct that you help rescue her?" she asked looking up at him

"Yes, I got her out while Inuyasha held him off." Miroku said

"Did he see you?" Kaede asked

"Yeah, I kind of threw a rock at his head…" Miroku said

"We may have to get all three of you out of town." Kaede said

"I'll be back after work, tell me what the plan is then." Miroku said heading towards the stairs. Kaede nodded. She went into the room Inuyasha was in with the girl "I have to fill out the paper work, what can you tell me about her?"

Inuyasha thought, "All I know is her name is Kagome. Her parents died when she was little and now she lives with her godfather, her mom's old friend."

"Kagome?" Kaede looked over at her "Is that why you asked me about that name earlier?" Kaede walked over and began to inspect her

"Yeah, but you said that Kagome died with her parents when she was three" Inuyasha said

Kaede nodded, "Right, she just looks an awful lot like the Kagome I knew…the one that died…" Kaede shrugged it off and smiled at Inuyasha, "I'm going to go find out her results and be back soon." Kaede walked out of the room.

Inuyasha placed his hand over Kagome and looked at her sleeping face. "I'm so sorry" he whispered. He looked at her arms, now visible in the hospital gown she wore. Bruises, scars, cuts, everywhere. It looked like something out of a horror story. How could anyone do this to her. Her arms were so skinny from being denied food for what looked like years. "Please, keep fighting, stay with us…" He looked up at her heart monitor and back at her.

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Kaede walked into the examination room, "Doctor, do we still have the Higurashi family blood on file?"

"I think so, why?" He asked, that family has passed years ago but this was a very small town and they kept blood work and test as long as they could.

"I think….can we test this girls blood with that families?" She asked,

"Sure, but why?"

"Her name is Kagome and I'm just curious…" She said.

"I see, did you find anything else about her?" He said going over to a cabinet looking at her

"No, that's all I know. Her name is Kagome and her parents passed when she was young."

"Who is her guardian?" He asked

"Her godfather, the one who did all of this."

"If this is the Kagome from the Higurashi family she is only fifteen, maybe sixteen years old…" He said grabbing the paper work he needed. "If this test comes back positive we need to call child protective services." He said. Kaede nodded.

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Inuyasha was still sitting there, starting to fall asleep in his chair when he saw her move.

"Kagome?"

"Where….where am I?" She asked

"Kagome, you're in the hospital. Me and Miroku got you out of that house." He said taking her hand "How are you feeling?"

Kagome went to sit up and groaned as she laid back down "I've felt better, but I've also felt worse so I guess I'm doing alright." She said smiling at him

"Why didn't you tell me what was happening?" Inuyasha asked

"I didn't know you, I thought you wouldn't believe me or might stop bringing me food because I wasn't worth it…" She said looking down "I'm sorry"

"Don't apologize, you're safe now." He said giving her a smile.


	6. Ch 6 - Back at the Farm

Ch 6 – Back at the Farm

Miroku walked up to the farm and the boss's daughter was sitting on the porch. "Hi there Sango, where's your dad?" He asked

Sango looked around, "Inuyasha playing hooky again?" she laughed.

"Actually no, it's a long story…" Miroku said his smile frowning a bit.

"Okay," Sango said picking up on how troubled he was, "he's in here." She said leading the way into the house.

"Miroku! How's my favorite worker?" Her father asked.

"I'm okay, but there's something I should tell you." Miroku said. His father motioned for him to take a seat on the couch and he did so, Sango sat beside him. "You see, Inuyasha found this girl who was not being fed at home and looked like something was really wrong. He and I wound up finding her house and she was being beaten by her guardian. We got her out and took her to the hospital, that's where Inuyasha is now."

Her father thought this over, Inuyasha was always making up stories for Miroku to relay to him. He was always coming up with a new way to get out of work, but this didn't seem like some story he cooked up. His father nodded. "Is there anything I can do?"

Miroku shook his head "No, but because this guy is dangerous we might have to be relocated somewhere else."

Sango looked at her father and back to Miroku "Will you guys be alright?"

"Yeah, we just need to be in hiding until he is taken care of." Miroku said.

"I can go with you, I can help protect her and you guys." Sango smiled.

"I don't think so Sango, this man sounds dangerous" Her father said

"Father, you know I can take him! I can take anyone! I'm the best fighter you know!" She pushed

"Really Sango, this guy is sick…" Miroku said also not wanting to put her in danger.

"I can do it!" She said looking at him with full serious eyes.

"Well, it might be good to have a woman with us for Kagome." He said.

"Kagome you said?" Her father asked looking up at him.

"Yeah, Inuyasha met her in the forest a while ago." Miroku said "do you know of her?"

"I knew a Kagome once but…" He shook his head "It can't be the same girl." He turned to Sango and thought about it. He turned to Miroku "If I allow my daughter to go, I place her life in your hands. If anything happens to her you will answer to me!" He said firmly.

"I understand" Miroku nodded.

"I'm going to go pack!" Sango said running up stairs to her room.

"What would you like me to do on the farm today?" Miroku asked.

"Just the usual watering, I need to go into town and start looking for new workers, when will you boys be leaving?" He asked.

"As soon as Kagome wakes up I think, so probably today…" Miroku said unsure.

Her father nodded and called up the stairs "Kohaku! Get down here!" Soon his son came running down the stairs and stood in front of his father.

"Yes father?" Kohaku said enthusiastically

"I need you to do some work on the farm for a while, help me out until I find new workers." He said

Kohaku nodded, he didn't want to be a farmer but was happy to help his father anytime he could. Miroku went outside to start watering.

Sango was up in her room looking around, she pulled out two suit cases and started packing clothes. "I should probably pack some for Kagome just in case…from the sounds of it, she doesn't have anything…" Sango looked around and grabbed brushes, lotions, and other girly necessities. She went into her bathroom and packed some toiletries. She looked around made sure she had everything. She grabbed her second suitcase, still empty and went down stairs to the garage. Her father followed her.

"I want you to be careful" He said walking in behind her.

"I will be father." She said taking a few guns off the wall and placing them in the suitcase. "You taught me well."

"I just want you to remember, your safety first." He said handing her a few packets of bullets.

"That's not what you taught me." She said putting the bullets in the suitcase. "You taught me to protect whoever I can, whenever I can."

He looked at her, he was proud and worried at the same time. She finished loading the rest of the weapons in the suitcase and smiled at her father. "I will be okay." She said hugging him.

Sango had both her suitcases and stood by the window watching Miroku and her brother working on watering the crops. Miroku was so handsome, His short black hair had sweat dripping down running along the side of his cheek. He had on a flannel t shirt with the sleeves rolled up like usual. His blue jeans and boots fit him perfectly. His arm muscles flexed while he worked on the land. She loved watching him through the window.

"I don't want any funny stuff going on, on this trip young lady." Her father said. He knew she had a crush on Miroku and figured the feeling was mutual. She turned around and blushed "I mean it Sango, you are going to help protect them. I don't want anything inappropriate going on between you and Miroku."

"Of course not dad! Why would you even say that?" She said denying her feelings for the handsome man.

Miroku and Kohaku came inside "Everything is watered father, is there anything else you need from us today?"

"No, you are free to go play" He said looking at Kohaku. He turned to Sango and Miroku "Alright you two, be safe, and call to check in." Sango nodded carrying one suitcase out to the car. "And you," He said looking at Miroku "You better protect my daughter." He said.

Miroku nodded and picked up the other suitcase and carried it out to his car. Sango was already in the passenger side. He put the suitcase in the trunk with the other one and got in.


	7. Ch 7 - The Plan

Ch 7 – The Plan

Miroku pulled up to the hospital and got out, Sango followed him in. They went up to Kagome's room and walked in slowly. "Is she still asleep?" He asked in a hushed tone.

"She woke up earlier, she fell right back to sleep though." Inuyasha said looking up at them then back to Kagome.

"She looks awful" Sango said sitting down in a vacant chair. Miroku sat next to her and they all just watched Kagome lay there, listening to the beeps of the machines around her.

Kaede walked in a little while later, "I have her results. She is really banged up but has no infections or diseases." Kaede walked over to the machines and looked at them all, making sure everything was as it should be. She turned to Inuyasha "Remember that little girl I told you about? The one who was also named Kagome?" Inuyasha nodded "This is that little girl."

Inuyasha looked at Kagome then back to Kaede, "But how? You said she died in an accident."

"That's what we all thought, that's what we have on record. I remember that day vaguely, I was friends with Mr. and Mrs. Higurashi, they were so excited to take their daughter on her first fishing trip. I used to babysit Kagome for them all the time. They left that morning and never returned. Authorities went out to find them and they found the ship wrecked. They found the bodies of the Mr. and Mrs. Higurashi but all they found of Kagome was her clothes, they looked ripped and tattered as if she had been attacked. They determined it was a shark attack and pronounced the entire family deceased. Somehow, Kagome survived, how she got into the hands of this monster, I don't know."

Kagome began to stir in her sleep, "I think we should let her rest," Kaede began

Miroku and Sango stood up to follow her out of the room

"I'm staying" Inuyasha said. Kaede nodded and walked out with Sango and Miroku.

"The cafeteria is down stairs." She said as she turned to walk to the nurses room.

"Are you hungry?" Miroku asked Sango

"A little." They went down and got some food and sat at a table just the two of them. "So what all happened?" Sango asked. Miroku told her about how Inuyasha found her one day and promised to bring her food and she stopped coming. He told her about how Inuyasha came to get him from the fields and about the fight that happened when they rescued her. "Wow, I feel so bad for her."

Miroku looked down at his food "I do too, it's amazing she is still alive…"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Inuyasha was sitting there watching Kagome, he didn't know if she would ever be okay, but at least she was safe. Kagome began to stir again and he watched her quietly unsure if she was waking up or having a nightmare. Her eyes slowly opened and he smiled "Hey Kagome."

She looked around, where was she? Oh right, the hospital. She slowly sat up and looked at Inuyasha and gave him a weak smile.

"Are you hungry?" Inuyasha asked Kagome looked down at her stomach and nodded. Inuyasha pushed the nurse's button and Kaede came in. "Kagome's awake and she said she's hungry." He told her.

"Alright I'll be right back with a tray of food, do you want anything Inuyasha?" She asked

He shook his head and turned his attention back to Kagome. He took her hand and smiled at her. "I'm glad you're awake.

Kaede returned a few minutes later with a tray of food and Miroku and Sango following her. "Kagome, I have some soup for you" She said, Miroku and Sango came in and sat down. Kaede turned to Inuyasha "I will let you tell them the plan" She said stepping out of the room. Kagome began to eat the soup on the tray in front of her.

"Okay, so we are leaving from here to our house to pack." Inuyasha said looking at Miroku "We are to start traveling, we are just going to keep moving until Kaede tells us that this man is taken care of." He looked at Kagome, "Kagome, I need you to tell Kaede as much as you can about your godfather. We are going to make sure you are safe." He looked to Miroku and Sango "Are you coming with us Sango?" Sango nodded "Alright, but this isn't going to be some road trip. We are literally on the run from this guy. Don't tell anyone your real names as we travel. Make sure we can't be traced anywhere we go." Miroku and Sango nodded. Kagome looked at them confused. Inuyasha looked back at her "Kagome this is Miroku, my friend and this is Sango, my boss's daughter."

"Hi" Sango said smiling at her.

Kagome looked nervously at them both and then gave them a small smile and said "Hello"

Kaede came into the room and said "Did Inuyasha let y'all know the plan?" they all nodded, she then walked over and sat by Kagome "What can you tell me about your godfather?"

Kagome shuddered thinking of him. "His name is Naraku. He said he was best friends with my mom and that he was my godfather. That's really all I know."

Kaede froze looking at her "Naraku you said?" Kagome nodded and Kaede continued "This is bad, he was not your mother's best friend. He tried to date her but she wasn't interested. He began to stalk her. She had to get a restraining order on him." Kagome shook "We won't let him hurt you anymore, I promise." Kaede said touching the top of her head.

Kagome finished her soup "When can we leave?" She asked looking at Kaede

"As soon as you feel ready" She said.

Kagome looked at everyone in the room "Are y'all ready?"

Inuyasha stood up "We're ready if you are." He helped her out of bed and they went to check out.


	8. Ch 8 - Smile

Ch 8 – Smile

Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku and Sango were in the car traveling down the road. "I think there is an Inn coming up" Miroku said.

Inuyasha looked from the back seat. "Let's go ahead and pull in" He looked at Kagome sitting next to him. "Me and Miroku will go get some food, you and Sango get the rooms. Remember don't use your real names."

Kagome nodded and Sango pulled some cash out of the dash board. The girls got out and Sango grabbed one of the suitcases. They walked into the office while the boys drove off to get the food.

"Hello! Welcome to the Sunshine Inn!" The man at the desk said, he looked about their age working the night shift. "How can I help you ladies?"

Sango walked up first "Hi, my name is Becky and this is Taylor." She said looking at Kagome. "We need two rooms, each with two beds."

"Are you expecting others?" He asked,

"Yes, our boyfriends, we are on a road trip to the beach for the weekend." She said as she put the money down "Their grabbing some food and will be back soon. Can we get our rooms?" She asked.

"Yes, of course, so just one night then?" He asked handing her the keys

"Yes, one night should do it!" Sango smiled

The girls walked over to their room and Sango unlocked the door. They walked in and she put her suitcase on the bed closest to the window and door. "This will be my bed, you take the one over there." She said pointing to the twin bed by the bathroom. "The boys are in the room next door. When they get here I'll give them their key." Sango said opening the suitcase. "Do you have any pajamas?" Sango asked.

Kagome looked down, "No, I don't…..I didn't bring anything."

Sango smiled "That's okay, I brought extra just in case." She pulled out light pink satin shorts with a matching tank top. Then she pulled out a pair of cotton shorts and a concert t shirt. "Which would you like?"

Kagome looked at the clothes and shrugged not wanting to impose, Sango smiled and handed her the concert shirt and shorts knowing she'd probably feel more comfortable covered. The girls changed and sat on the beds.

"So tell me about yourself." Sango said crossing her legs.

Kagome didn't know where to start, she had just met her and didn't know how much she should tell. "Well, my name is Kagome…I am sixteen, I actually just turned sixteen this month. I live…lived with my godfather Naraku. My parents died…." She thought

Sango shook her hand "I know all that," She smiled at her "I mean, what do you like, what's your favorite music and movies, what do you do for fun?"

Kagome just shrugged her shoulders "I never really had time for fun."

Sango frowned slightly. She then smiled and went back to her suitcase. She pulled out a music player and turned it on. She began to dance while sitting on the bed, as the music picked up tempo she stood and danced more. Kagome smiled and laughed watching Sango dance around. Sango grabbed her hands and pulled her off the bed they began to dance together. As the song changed they continued to dance to the new beats. There was a knock on the door and Sango danced over. She peeked in the eye hole and opened the door. The boys came in holding boxes of pizza. Inuyasha looked at Kagome, she was laughing, she was actually smiling and laughing.

"Pizza man is here!" Miroku said in a deep voice, trying to sound bigger than he was. He sat the boxes down and opened them up. He and Sango grabbed a slice each. Inuyasha walked over and grabbed two slices taking one over to Kagome. Sango turned down the music laughing. "Sounds like you girls were having fun." Miroku said laughing at them

"So much fun!" Sango said looking at Kagome. "Here are you room keys" Sango said handing them the keys to their room

"We're in separate rooms?" Miroku said with a teasing pout.

"YES!" Sango said shoving his shoulder. "Y'all are right next door." After dinner the boys went to their rooms and Sango and Kagome got ready for bed in theirs.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Is that going to be all for you?" Asked the old man at the counter

"Yes." He said looking at the items laid before him. "By chance have you seen two young men, one with dark hair, one with blonde, walking around with a teenage girl?"

The man shook his head and placed the items in the bag, ropes, guns, knives. "No I don't suppose I have, although I don't get out that much." He tallied the total and took the money from the man "Have fun on your hunting trip" He said closing the register.

Naraku turned to walk out of the store, bag in hand "I will." He said with a dark laugh.


	9. Ch 9 - Showers

Ch 9 – Showers

Kagome woke up when the sun shined through the blinds. She looked at Sango still sound asleep in her bed. She tip toed over to the bathroom and shut the door. She looked into the mirror. It'd been so long since she'd showered. This inn didn't have showers in the rooms, just a toilet and sink, you had to go to the community shower to bathe. She grabbed a pony tail holder off her wrist that Sango gave her last night and pulled her hair up into a pony tail. She looked at herself again, she was becoming a new person. There was a knock on the door, "Kagome?" Sango asked "I was thinking about going to take a shower, do you want to come with me?"

Kagome smiled at her reflection and then opened the door "yes"

Sango smiled and handed her a towel "Let's go!"

They walked to the showers and they got into the ones next to each other, Sango began to sing in the shower. And Kagome smiled, hoping one day she would be happy and carefree enough to sing in the shower. The door opened and Sango stopped, Kagome froze nervous. "Who's there?" Sango called.

No answer.

"Hello?" Sango asked again. Kagome saw her feet under the shower wall divider, Sango reached down into her shower basket and pulled out a knife. She kept the shower running, wrapped her towel around herself and stepped out.

"Aahhhhhh" She yelled

"Sango! What the hell?!" Miroku shouted

"What are you doing in here?!" She yelled. Kagome heard a smack and Miroku yell ouch again.

"What am I doing here? It's the community shower!" He said rubbing his cheek.

The door opened and Inuyasha stepped in "Told you ya shouldn't try to sneak in on them"

When Kagome heard Inuyasha's voice she suddenly felt a lot more naked. She covered her chest even though she was still behind the door.

"Get out!" Sango said

"Why do you have a knife in the shower anyway?! That's not safe!" Miroku said backing up

"Gee, I don't know, I thought it would be good protection!" She said sarcastically

"Come on Miroku" Inuyasha said grabbing the back of his shirt. "Sango will you let us know when y'all are done? We want to shower before check out"

Sango nodded and stepped back into the shower when the boys were gone "I swear, boys will be boys doesn't even cover it" She said joking. The girls stepped out of the shower and dried off. They walked out of the bathroom and started walking back to their room. Kagome got a bad feeling. Just then she saw a familiar car pull in.

"Sango" She whispered getting close behind her. "That's his car I think"

"What?" Sango looked over and narrowed her eyes, "Let's go" Sango walked faster with Kagome behind her they went into the boys room because it was closer. Sango locked the door and peaked through the blinds.

"What's up?" Inuyasha asked picking up on Sango's defensive behavior.

"Naraku is here." Sango said calmly looking out the blind watching the office waiting for him to come out.

"What?! How did he find us?!" Inuyasha said going up to the window

"I don't think he has, I think he's just passing through." Sango said, she watched Naraku come out of the office with a key and walk to the other side of the inn "His room's on the other side, we need to leave. Kagome stay here, I'm going to go get our bags."

"Sango," Miroku started standing up

"No, Miroku he doesn't know me, if he sees me he will just think that I'm a guest…" Sango said grabbing her room key "I'll be right back" She left the room and went into hers. She quickly threw everything in the room she could find that was theirs and stepped out. She looked around and didn't find him she walked back into the boys room "No sign of him, let's move. Kagome get dressed." Sango tossed her the first clothes she grabbed out of the suitcase and pulled out another set for herself. She looked at the boys and they sighed and turned around. Sango was in denim shorts and a tank top with a flowing over shirt. She then reached into her other suitcase and pulled out a gun holster and a gun. She loaded the gun and placed it in the holster in her hip. Kagome was in jeans and a button up, short sleeve shirt. Sango looked at her "You don't know how to shoot do you?" Kagome shook her head. Sango rummaged quickly and pulled out a switch blade, "Be careful with this." She handed it to her and Kagome put it in her pocket. She looked at the boys "How good of a shot are y'all?" Miroku and Inuyasha looked at each other then back to her and shrugged. Sango rolled her eyes and gave Miroku a switch blade like Kagome's and gave Inuyasha a buck knife. "Don't make me regret giving you these. I'm driving to our next location." She went behind Kagome and braided her hair and gave her some sunglasses and tossed Miroku and Inuyasha some hats. "That'll have to do for disguises for now" She looked around. Everything was packed, everyone had a weapon and they were as best disguised as possible. "Ready?" She asked. They nodded and they went out to the car, Sango took the keys and returned them to the hotel and got in the cars drivers side.

"So are you like a professional serial killer?" Miroku asked looking at her hand gun

"Nope, just really good at defense." Sango said smirking "Now, we are going to be driving a while, we are going to a shooting range and you three are going to learn to use a gun."

The car sped off into the distance.


	10. Ch 10 - Shooting Lessons

Ch 10 – Shooting Lessons

They pulled into the shooting range site, Sango put the car in park "Ready?" She said looking at them

They all looked at each other worried and got out of the car, they walked into the entrance and the counterman recognized Sango immediately "Sango! How is your family?" He said smiling.

"Good Totosai, how have you been?" Sango asked, the old my smiled and shrugged "These are my friends, their names aren't important and no one is to know we were here."

Totosai looked at her skeptically and then nodded "Anything for you Sango. What can I get for you?"

"Four hand guns, bullets, and ear muffs." He handed her the supplies and she lead her friends down to the shooting aisles.

"Alright," She said calling their attention "Make sure your safety is on whenever you are not shooting." She demonstrated how to turn the safety on and off. "Now, when you shoot hold your arm straight and point. Be prepared because the shock can surprise you the first few times." She smiled and they all nodded understanding, "Okay, let's do this"

They all turned around and put their muffs on "FIRE" Sango shouted as the light went from red to green indicating it was safe to shoot. They all began to aim and shoot. Sango walked up and down watching them. She walked up to Miroku who was aiming with one eye, trying to focus. "You'll shoot twice as good with two eyes." He opened his eyes, and continued shooting. She went to Inuyasha "Don't be so tense" She said touching his shoulders, he relaxed and continued shooting. Then to Kagome who hadn't taken a shot yet. Sango nodded at her and she clutched the gun afraid and shut her eyes tight and shot. "Okay, but don't be afraid of the gun. Be afraid of what you're shooting. The gun is your friend, it'll protect you." Kagome looked up and eyed the bull's eye she was trying to hit. Not even close to the center. Sango looked up and signaled for Totosai to change her target from a bull's eye to a silhouette of a man. "Try now."

Kagome looked at the silhouette, she imagined him, she thought about everything he did to her. She raised her gun, she remembered the beatings, the touching. She took aim, she saw him coming at her. BAM! Dead center. Sango smiled at her.

They group continued to practice and then the light went from green to red and they all ceased fire. They took off their ear muffs and smiled at Sango.

"Y'all did really good. Now put it on the safety and let's go." Sango bought the guns and more holsters from Totosai "Remember, we were never here." Totosai nodded and they left. They had been there all day and Sango was confident they would know what to do in the face of danger.

They were cruzing down the road and they came across a few hotels, motels, and inns but they wanted to go as far as they could. Finally it was around 5 in the morning and Sango was getting tired.

"Why don't you pull over and let me drive?" Miroku said

Sango was about to reject but she knew they had to keep moving and she was getting really tired. "Alright," She said pulling over.

Miroku and Sango switched places. Kagome was sitting in the back and looked at Inuyasha who was sleeping. As the car started up again Sango fell asleep and Kagome saw Miroku was also tired. She didn't know how to drive but she could at least try to keep Miroku awake.

"So, you and Inuyasha worked on Sango family's farm?" Kagome asked

Miroku looked in the mirror surprised she was still awake. "Uh, yeah, we've worked for her family for about two years now." Miroku glanced at Sango sleeping and back at the road.

"What about your family?" Kagome asked. She learned about Sango's last night. She told her all about how her mother passed when she was young and she and her brother were all that was left of the family, them and her father.

"Well, my parents travel a lot. When I was fifteen they said they were going to travel the world and left me to live with Inuyasha. I had just started working for Sango's dad and they knew he would help us. I get letters from them from time to time but I don't have a very close relationship with them." Miroku said, he didn't seem upset about his distance with his parents.

"What can you tell me about Inuyasha's family?" Kagome asked looking at him, he was fast asleep.

"Well, his father took off when he was only five. His mother raised him and she passed away a couple years ago. Right around when he started working at the farm. Once she passed he knew that he had to start providing for himself." Miroku looked around for another hotel, the next one he saw he was pulling in.

"That's so sad…" Kagome said looking at Miroku, "His father just left?"

"Yeah, he told me he had a half-brother that was a few years older than him, his dad took him with him when he left. They were never really close, that's all I really know." He said pulling into a small hotel.

Inuyasha woke up when the car stopped "Where are we?" He asked.

"I don't know, but we're all tired and we have to crash." Miroku said getting out. Sango barely opened her eyes and fell back to sleep. "I'll carry Sango, you two go get us our rooms."

Inuyasha and Kagome got out of the car and Inuyasha smiled breathing in the air "Do you smell that?" he asked grinning at her

Kagome smelled around her "I think so…?"

"Salt water, we must be near the beach." Inuyasha said opening the door open for Kagome

"Oh, I wouldn't know, I've never been to the beach." She said walking up to the desk

"Well, we'll have to change that" Inuyasha smiled turning to the woman at the desk, "Do you have two rooms available?"

"No, I'm sorry, we only have one room available but it has two beds." She said looking on her computer

"It'll have to do" He smirked

"Okay, what are the names?" She asked ready to type

"Just put it under Barry" He said

"Okay Mr. Barry, and how will you be paying?"

"Cash" He said giving her the money

"Okay and we do have a two night minimum policy, how long will you be staying?" She said with a smile.

"I guess we'll be staying for two nights" He said with an annoyed grin

They walked out and Inuyasha went up to the car, "We're in 246," he said in an annoyed tone.

"And the girls?" Miroku asked

"246" Inuyasha said looking at him "It's all they had, the girls will take one bed and we'll take the other."

Miroku pulled Sango out of the car gently and carried her up the stairs. He walked carefully and looked at her almost the entire way. They came in the room and he laid her on the bed. The three of them went outside on the porch. Inuyasha could see the ocean barely from their room, he took Kagome's hand and said "That is the beach, that's the ocean" She looked out into the distance and bit her lip, she'd always wanted to see the ocean. Inuyasha looked at her smiling "Miroku will you be okay here if I take Kagome down to the ocean?" Miroku looked inside at Sango and nodded, "Hey, no funny stuff, you hear me?" Inuyasha said with a firm face.

"I know, I know, I'll behave. You two have fun" Miroku said waving his hand.

Inuyasha took her hand and lead her down to the beach shore. Once they got to the sand Kagome froze, she just stood there taking it all in. It was amazing and magical, it was the most majestic thing she had ever seen. "Roll up your jeans and take off your shoes"

She did as he told her, and then he walked her into the water, they were ankle deep and she was bubbling with glee inside. They walked further into the water and began to jump the waves, she was having so much fun. Inuyasha watched her jumping, smiling, and laughing, he was so happy he could bring her joy in this dark time. He could watch her be happy forever.

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Naraku sat down at the top of a sand dune and watched them play in the water. "Did you really think you could escape me?" He said to himself. "Did you really think I wouldn't find you?" he laughed darkly to himself.

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"Let me teach you something my mother taught me when I was a kid," He walked over to were the water was about at their hips "Okay, when the wave comes, push off and ride it down to the shore!" He lifted her up and pushed her down. She made it about halfway to shore and then stood up "That was a good first try!" He said laughing. He then rode a wave all the way to shore as she walked back to the deeper side.

They continued this for a while, then Inuyasha rode one up to shore and stood up "Alright, I think that's enough for tonight" He turned around and didn't see her "Kagome?" He ran into the water "Kagome?!" He turned to search for her some more and a fist was met with his face. Inuyasha fell into the water surprised he looked up and saw Naraku above him, laughing in the moonlight. Inuyasha got up but as he was almost upright he got wacked in the side of the head with a blunt object, it had to be like a baseball bat or a crowbar or something. He looked touched his face and stood, blood covered his hand and his face stung as the salt water ran into his fresh wound. "Damn you" he said swinging a punch, he missed his face but got a good hit on his chest.

Naraku grabbed him by the neck and laughed "What's wrong you were much stronger the last time we fought. Tired from playing in the water?" He then released him under the water harshly and Inuyasha came up grabbing him by the stomach and pushing him into the water

"Where the fuck is Kagome?!" He said punching him in the jaw, just then Inuyasha felt a sharp pain in his side. His eyes got big and he dropped into the water.

Naraku stood up and walked out of the water, and towards Kagome who was tied sitting at the edge of the shore, she was struggling to break free and trying to scream but she had a cloth tied to her mouth. She was trying hard to scream, Naraku got up to her and hit her with the large crowbar she just watched him hit Inuyasha with. She fell over blacking out and he tossed her over his shoulder and continued walking.

Inuyasha saw him hit her with the crow bar and take off, he grabbed onto the knife jabbed into his side and pulled it out. Blood began to run into the water and he streamed out. He could barely move, he put one hand over his side and tried to swim to shore as fast as he could with the other. He finally made it close to shore, but he lost a lot of blood and everything was looking blurry.


	11. Ch 11 - Find Her

Ch 11 – Find Her

Miroku looked at the clock, Kagome and Inuyasha had been gone for a few hours now. The sun was beginning to rise, "Something's wrong." He said narrowing his eyes. He stepped over to the door and looked out at the ocean. He couldn't see the shore but something inside was telling him something is wrong. He walked over and woke up Sango.

She got up with the shake of her shoulder, she sat up rubbing her eyes "What's wrong?" She said yawning.

"Inuyasha and Kagome went out last night and they're still not back." He said seriously

"What? Why did you let them go out alone?" She said standing up, she was still in her clothes from yesterday and went to the table and put her gun holster on.

"Kagome had never seen the beach before and Inuyasha just wanted to go show it to her…" Miroku said, wishing he had convinced them to stay.

"Put your gun on, let's go" She said pulling her hair into a high pony tail.

Miroku nodded and put his gun in the holster. They ran to the beach "Did they take their guns or anything?" Sango asked as they ran

"Not their guns, but I thought they had their knives with them…" Miroku said looking around as they approached the beach.

"There!" Sango called running to an unconscious Inuyasha that was on the sand. She shook him "Inuyasha?! Wake up!" She called. She turned to Miroku, "We need to get him up the room and bandage him up!"

Miroku nodded lifting up Inuyasha and taking up to the room. He laid him on the floor and Sango pulled out the first aid kit Miroku brought. Miroku started sanitizing him and wrapping him up "He's okay, he just lost a lot of blood, but he should be fine." He said hoping he was right.

The two of them sat on the couch and watched Inuyasha, they had covered him with a blanket and gave him a pillow. Finally he started to move and opened his eyes, he looked around and then it dawned on him, he sprang up "Kagome?!" he said in a panic and then grunting and grabbing his stomach.

"You're really badly wounded Inuyasha." Sango said urging him to lay down.

"What happened?" Asked Miroku getting down to his level to lift him onto the bed.

"Where is Kagome?" He asked sitting on the bed "Tell me she is okay."

Sango and Miroku exchanged worried looks and then turned to him.

"Damn it, Damn it, DAMN IT!" he said punching the bed. He looked up and sighed his eyes brimming with tears, "I couldn't save her…" he looked down and a tear rounded his cheek "I couldn't save her again…"

"Inuyasha…," Sango started in a soft understanding tone.

"NO!" he said standing up "I PROMISED I WOULDN'T LET HIM HURT HER AGAIN!" he yelled punching a hole in the wall.

Sango and Miroku jumped, Miroku stood up and grabbed his arms and pulled him down. "Inuyasha, tell us what happened and we can go get her!"

Inuyasha took a deep breath, "She had never seen the ocean, never been to the beach. We drove so far….I didn't think he'd be anywhere near…" He took another breath. "He played in the waves, she was having so much fun. I taught her to body surf…then I stood up in the water…" His eyes went cold "And she was gone." He began to shake "I….I tried looking for her…then he attacked me…I tried to fight him off…" He shook more, his blood boiling with anger "DAMN IT!"

"Naraku is here?!" Sango asked surprised looking at Miroku

"How did he find us so quickly?!" Miroku asked standing up

"I don't know but we are going to go get her, NOW" Sango said standing next to him

Inuyasha stood and put his gun in his holster "Damn right."

The gang loaded up, they each had a gun and two knives placed strategically on their bodies. Then they left and started walking the hotel grounds "How are we going to find him?" Miroku asked

"He drives a blue Honda with a beads hanging from his rearview mirror, Kagome pointed it out to me" Sango stopped walking and pulled out two cell phones, "these are prepaid phones I got just in case, the other phone is already in the contacts." She handed one to Inuyasha, "You and Miroku go one way and I'll go the other, if one of us finds him call the other, don't go in alone."

"Not a chance" Miroku said looking at her "If we're splitting up, I'm going with you"

"I'll be fine" She said insisting

"Nope, I made a promise to your dad and myself, I'm staying by you"

She finally gave in and the two of them went one way and Inuyasha went the other.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-..-.-..-.-

Kagome woke up with a heavy head ach, she went to move her arms and realized she was tied. She opened her eyes and saw she was naked and tied to a bed. The curtains were closed and Naraku was in on the couch watching the news. Without so much of a glance at her he turned off the T.V. and began to talk. "That was very foolish of you Kagome" He stood up and began to walk over to her and slid his had up her inner thigh and kissed her neck "I missed you" Her body cringed. He looked at her, inches from her face and she spit right in his face. He backed away and looked at her furiously "you little bitch!" he said and slapped her hard. Her face turned with the slap and she starred at the wall and right when she was going to give in, she narrowed her eyes 'not this time' she thought to herself. He leaned back down and she kicked her leg up and popped him in the back of the head with her shin. He was shocked by her defending herself.

She then started to scream "HELP! HELP! I'M IN HERE!" He then climbed on top of her, grabbing her neck, she continued to kick. He was chocking the life out of her but she kept fighting and kept kicking and trying to make as much noise as she could. He shook her by her neck squeezing tight, soon her eyes faded and her body went limp. "That's better" he said standing up. He grabbed rope from under the bed and tied her feet up. He walked up to her and put his finger on her neck, "Still alive, good." Then he grabbed a sock from the drawer and rolled it up and put it in her mouth and duck tapped it shut. He then put his coat on "I'll be back dear," he said winking at her unconscious body. He stepped out and locked the door.

He went down stairs and got in his car and drove away, just as he left the parking lot Sango and Miroku were coming around the corner, not seeing the car.

"I hope she's okay" Sango said, one hand on her gun. Just then they heard a woman talking to what looked like her husband and stopped to listen in.

"Honey, it's really not our place…" he said

"I don't care, I'm reporting it. I'm telling you I heard a woman scream." She said marching to the office.

They followed her in and stood about a foot away while she talked to the manager.

"Sir, as we were getting up and getting ready to head to the beach, we heard a woman from the floor upstairs screaming." She said

"Would you like to lodge a noise complaint?" The manager asked pulling out a form

"No! She was screaming for help and it sounded like a fight or something was going on!" She said hurrying her words "We think she might be really hurt!"

The manager nodded, he handed her a clip board and said "Please fill out this, we will call the police and investigate."

The woman nodded and began to fill out the paper work. Miroku stepped outside and called Inuyasha "Come to the office, we think we found them"

Sango approached the desk, "We think that be our friend, she disappeared last night and we really think that could be her!"

The manager nodded, "Please wait here for the police."

"She could be dead by the time they get here!" Sango snapped

"Ma'am please." He went to the phone and called the police. Sango motioned to Miroku through the window to not come back in.

She sat down next to the woman, "your upstairs neighbors you said?"

"Yes, the room right above us, it was so eerie." She said continuing to write.

"Yeah, I hope she's okay…what room are you in?" Sango asked

"We are in 921" She said continuing the paper work.

Sango looked through the window, Miroku and Inuyasha were both there looking at here. She held up the numbers 9, 2, 1, then pointed up and mouthed 'upstiars from' and held up 9, 2, and 1 again. They nodded and took off.

"Why isn't Sango coming?" Inuyasha asked,

"I don't know, a woman complained about hearing a woman screaming help and they said they'd call the police, then I went outside to call you. I guess they want here there for when the police show up because she said that could be Kagome."

They got to the room it was on the second floor. "Okay so here is 921," they went up one more floor "And here's 931, the room right above it." Inuyasha grinned grabbing his gun.

"Be careful, remember he might have Kagome as a shield, don't just go shooting blindly." Miroku warned.

"Do I look like an idiot?" Inuyasha snapped. He knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again and cleared his throat "Housekeeping" he tried again "Housekeeping" Knocking again "Okay…that's my limit." He said kicking the door.

"INUYASHA?!" Miroku called out

Finally the door fell in and Inuyasha saw Kagome on the bed. She was tied up and naked, he shook with terror and anger, there was tape over her mouth and she had a big red mark on her cheek. He immediately ran over to her and untied her hands and pulled the tape off her mouth "Kagome, Kagome, come on! Wake up!" He shook her.

Miroku was walking around the room "Naraku is nowhere to be found." Inuyasha untied her feet and wrapped her up in the blanket.

"We are leaving, NOW!" Inuyasha stormed out to the room right at the police were showing up. They pulled their guns out and pointed them at Miroku and Inuyasha.

"Put the girl down, and your hands up."


	12. Ch 12 - Police Station

Ch 12 – Police Station

"Put the girl down, and your hands up." The cop said pointing his gun at them.

"Damn it" Inuyasha said under his breath. He gently laid her down on the ground and stepped back raising his hands.

One of the cops got on his radio "We need an ambulance at The Cove Hotel"

"We didn't hurt her" Inuyasha said narrowing his eyes.

"Sir you have the right to remain silent. Place all weapons on the floor and backup"

"Inuyasha just do as they say" Miroku said putting his gun and knives on the ground.

Inuyasha hesitated then did as Miroku said and placed his weapons on the floor as well.

The cops came up and hand cuffed them and read them their rights. Just then Sango was coming up the stairs with the paramedics.

"Inuyasha, Miroku!" She called seeing them being arrested

"They think we were the ones hurting her" Miroku said

"Sir, I suggest you remain quiet" A cop said as they escorted them downstairs.

The paramedics got to work putting Kagome on a stretcher keeping her covered up. Sango watched the boys get put in the police car as it drove off. She was worried but she had to stay by Kagome. She got into the back of the ambulance and watched the paramedics get to work. "Would you like the dress her?" One of the paramedics asked giving her a hospital gown. Sango nodded and slid her new friend into the gown.

They pulled into the hospital and Sango pulled out her phone. She dialed the number and watched Kagome while she was on the phone.

"Hello? Dad?"

"Sango, about time you called, how is everything?"

"Not good, he got her but we were able to save her. But when the cops came it looked like Inuyasha and Miroku were to blame, they took them away." Sango said with worry in her tone

"Okay, okay Sango. Where are you?" He asked

"We're at the Hospital on the coast. I think the boys went to the nearest police station."

"Okay, let me see what I can do…" He said getting off the phone.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I'm telling you, ya have the wrong guys!" Inuyasha said holding the cell bars.

"I'm sure we do sir." The cop said sarcastically sitting at the desk.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha yelled sitting on the bench next to Miroku

"Sir, don't we get one phone call each?" Miroku asked

The cop rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, give me a minute." He got up and walked out of the room

"Miroku, I need you to call Kaede and tell her that he's here and he attacked Kagome again. Tell her she is fine and in the hospital now but we don't know where Naraku went." Inuyasha said firmly

"I was going to call Sango for help" Miroku said "Why don't you call Kaede?"

"No, I have another phone call to make, just call Kaede and I will get us out of here." Inuyasha said starring at the wall.

Miroku nodded and the cop came back in "Who wants to go first?" Miroku stood up and the cop took Miroku over to the phone.

"Hello? Kaede?" Miroku said, Inuyasha was listening in as best as he could. "Listen Naraku found us, he attacked Kagome again, she is safe at a nearby hospital. The police think we did it so we are in jail for now, but they just detained us, we'll be okay." Miroku nodded listening to the other side of his call then said "Okay, thank you Kaede, good bye." He hung up the phone and went back into the cell. Inuyasha stood up and went to the phone. He picked it up and dialed the numbers, he stared at the phone then took a deep breath and hit call.

"Hello, Sesshomaru?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kagome woke up in the hospital she looked around and only saw Sango "Sango? Where is….where's Inuyasha?"

Sango looked down "It's a long story…"

Then a cop entered her hospital room "Ma'am we'd like to ask you a few questions." He turned to Sango "Privately"

"I'm not leaving her" Sango said standing.

"Are you family?" He asked

"I'm her sister." Sango said looking at Kagome.

"Fine, whatever" He said sitting next to Kagome with a pen and pad. "State your name"

"Kagome Higurashi" Kagome said nervous

"Do you know the name of the men that attacked you?" He asked writing

"Yes, his name is Naraku."

"And the other one?" He asked

"Other one? No it was just Naraku."

The cop nodded and said "Can you describe this man?"

"Yes, he has long black hair, he's really tall, almost six feet I think…He has dark brown eyes and is very slim."

The cop raised an eyebrow, "Ma'am can you identify these men?" He pulled out a photograph of when they found her. It was Inuyasha and Miroku standing next to each other with their hands up.

"Yes, those are my friends Miroku and Inuyasha."

The cop nodded and wrote some more information down "Okay, tell me what you remember"

"I was playing in the water with Inuyasha at the beach and then Naraku came up behind me. He covered my mouth and dragged me down into the waves. He tied me up and put me on the shore, then he went and attacked Inuyasha. Then he came up and hit me with a crowbar. The next thing I knew I woke up in his room tied up, he tried to take me and I tried fighting back. I never fought back before and he hit me so I started to scream so someone would hear me. Then he started choking me and everything went black…Then I woke up here."

The man nodded and continued writing.

"Where is Inuyasha and Miroku?" Kagome asked again.

"There were on the scene when we arrived. They are being detained. We need to make sure they didn't do anything while you were passed out."

"Inuyasha and Miroku would never do that!" Kagome insisted.

The cop shrugged "We have to be careful ma'am. Besides, they tampered with a crime scene there is a bail of fifteen-hundred dollars"

Sango and Kagome exchanged worried looks "My father might be able to help us get about a thousand," Sango said holding Kagome's hand

"Fifteen-hundred dollars each." The cop corrected.

Their stomachs fell, there was no way they'd get that much.


	13. Ch 13 - Enter Sesshomaru

A/N Sorry it's been a couples days since I've updated. I've been writing but my internet keeps going out. I am in central Texas and we are experiencing extream flooding right now. Please be patient as soon as I have internet I am doing my best to upload what I can.

Ch 13- Enter Sesshomaru

Miroku and Inuyasha sat in the cell in silence. Finally Miroku had to ask, he couldn't hold it in any longer "Sesshomaru? As in Sesshomaru Hotels? How the hell do you know him?"

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed starring off into space. "He's my brother."

Miroku starred at him "Really? You never…"

"I don't like to talk about it. He isn't exactly big brother of the year."

"But you're rich," Miroku smiled

"No. He's rich" Inuyasha spat. "I'm broke."

Just then a cop came an opened the cell "Well, someone bailed you out." Inuyasha and Miroku stood up and walked out to the front and saw Sesshomaru standing there grinning. Inuyasha rolled his eyes

"Is that anyway to treat your big brother that bailed you out of jail?" He smirked

"Whatever." Inuyasha said, Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes

"He's just kidding Sesshomaru! Thank you so much!" Miroku said shaking his hand vigorously.

"Yes well, since I bailed you out, I want to know what's going on." He said walking outside.

"Thanks, but no thanks, we don't need help" Inuyasha said crossing his arms.

"Inuyasha we could use his help!" Miroku said.

"I didn't say anything about help. I simply wish to know why I had to bail family out of jail." Sesshomaru said as a limo pulled up. A man got out the driver's side and came around and opened the door. "My driver will take you wherever you need to go." He said gesturing for them to get in. Miroku slid in and Inuyasha hesitated then got in.

"You've never considered us family, why are you so interested now?" Inuyasha said glaring at him.

"Whom called whom?" He smirked. Inuyasha rolled his eyes again and sat back.

"You see, it's a long story." Miroku started

"Jaken, a few loops around the block." Sesshomaru said rolling his finger in the air.

"Yes sir, Mr. Sesshomaru!" He said, Sesshomaru rolled up the window separating the driver and the passengers.

Miroku started "Well, Inuyasha met this girl in the forest. She was starving and being beaten at home. He was taking her food every day and then one day she stopped coming and he found her house."

"Why did you not help her when you first met her? Why have her go back to the house?" Sesshomaru said in a calm, cool tone.

"I didn't know what was going on!" Inuyasha snapped angry because he was asking himself that question for a long time.

"Very well, continue" he said nodding to Miroku

"Well, Inuyasha came to get me and we rescued her and went running from this guy with Sango"

"Sango?" Sesshomaru asked

"She's really good at defense, weapons, everything." Miroku explained, Sesshomaru nodded and Miroku continued "So we were traveling and we got to the beach. Kagome had never been before and Inuyasha wanted to take her down to the water. That's where they were attacked."

"Foolish." Sesshomaru stated. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, almost growling at him.

"Then me and Sango went looking for them and we found Inuyasha by the shore. He was badly injured. Then we took off and looked for Kagome. A woman reported hearing another woman call for help so we went to check it out. But right when we got Kagome and were taking her out, the police showed up."

Sesshomaru nodded.

"Thank you for paying our bail!" Miroku added

"Yes, well as it seems, you two are incapable of taking care of this girl. I am taking over now." Sesshomaru said rolling down the window divider.

"Fat chance!" Inuyasha said "Like I said, we don't need your help so you can just forget it!"

"Do not talk to Mr. Sesshomaru that way! Show some respect!" The driver said

"Jaken, that's enough circling." He looked to Miroku "Where is the girl now?"

"The hospital."

"To the hospital Jaken." Sesshomaru said in a cool tone.

"Yes Sir! Right away!" Jaken said as Sesshomaru rolled up the window.

"What's the plan?" Miroku asked curious to how Sesshomaru planned on helping them.

"I'm going to take the girl to my private estate. Guards surround the building so it will be the safest place for her." Sesshomaru said calmly looking out the window.

"You idiot! He just said she's in the hospital! She needs medical care!" Inuyasha yelled.

"I have private doctors that will take care of her." Sesshomaru said without so much as a glance.

Inuyasha just sat there glaring at his brother, so mad he was twitching. He knew he needed his help but it killed him to admit it. They pulled into the hospital and all three went up to Kagome's room. Inuyasha was ahead of them because his pace was practically running. He opened the door and rushed to her side, he held her hand and touched her cheek "Kagome, are you okay?"

She nuzzled into his palm and nodded "Yes, I am now."

Miroku and Sesshomaru entered next and Sango stood "Miroku, I'm glad you're okay!" She turned her attention to Sesshomaru "Who's this?"

"This is Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's brother." Miroku said as Sesshomaru made his way to Kagome's bed.

"Hi, I'm…"

"Of no concern to me." Sesshomaru cut her off.

Miroku and Sango starred at him in shock of his rudeness.

"Is he Sesshomaru of Sesshomaru Hotel's?" Sango whispered to Miroku

Miroku nodded and Sesshomaru pressed the nurse's button.

"I am taking this girl to my estate. She will continue her medical care there." He looked down at Kagome and back to the nurse "Please give me all the information you have on her."

"We are going to your house?" Sango asked

"No you're not. She is." He corrected.

Inuyasha looked up "Sesshomaru, I'm not leaving her!"

"Yes you are." He corrected again


	14. Ch 14 -What's Best?

Ch 14 – What's Best?

"You want to take Kagome alone?" Miroku asked surprised

"She is the only one in danger, she is the only one in need of protection. I'm not hosting a sleep over." Sesshomaru said taking a folder from a nurse and they help Kagome out of bed.

"Please, I don't want to leave my friends." Kagome said holding Inuyasha's hand

"We're all in danger of this guy, Kagome is his main target but he's after all of us" Sango said defensive.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes annoyed by this information. "Very well, you will all go. If any of you step out of line or break any of my rules you are out." He said coldly.

"Why should we go with you? Why are you being nice to us?" Inuyasha said suspecting something was up.

"Because I'm your best chance for survival." He said calmly

"Inuyasha, we could use his help. Think about what's best for Kagome." Miroku said pleading with his friend.

Inuyasha looked down at Kagome, she looked so scared "Fine. Let's go" He said.

They went out to the limo and they all piled in. They drove in silence and Sesshomaru was already getting annoyed. As they pulled up to the gate and drove the way up to the mansion Sesshomaru cleared his throat. "Okay the rules. No running around or horse play inside. Any mess you make you clean. You are not to answer the phone or the door. The help is here to serve you as you are my guests, do not distract them from their duties. Finally, don't upset Rin."

Inuyasha looked up confused 'Rin?' he thought, who was that?

They pulled up to the house and a little girl with black hair that fanned out came running down the stairs, she was in a beautiful little dress and fancy little shoes. She looked about five years old, she ran up to the car jumping "Daddy!" She called with a huge smile.

Sesshomaru got out of the car and tussled her hair "Rin, these are our guests." He said to her, then he walked up to the house.

"Daddy?!" Inuyasha said surprised

Jaken, who was holding the door open for them, explained. "Sesshomaru adopted Rin when she was three. He is so kind and generous!"

Inuyasha just looked at the girl 'maybe Sesshomaru has changed…' he thought to himself.

They walked into the foyer where a maid was standing there "Allow me to show you around." She said bowing to them. "This is the kitchen, it is available for you to use or you can ask one of us to grab you something." She continued walking, it had three living rooms downstairs alone, and the backyard had a huge pool with fountains and hot tubs on both sides. She took them upstairs, "Here are our guest rooms, we have five." They opened the first one and she looked at the group "Here is your room," She looked at Sango.

"My name is Sango, and thank you. These rooms are really big to be guest rooms." She said

The maid nodded and walked to the room next to it. "Here is your room," She said looking at Miroku, he told her his name and thanked her as well. Across the hall were three rooms, the opened the far left one "Here is your room" She looked at Inuyasha and he nodded "And your room" She opened the center door and looked at Kagome. The maid pointed down the hall "Over there is Sesshomaru's room, no one is to enter, and that is Rin's room, enter only if given permission." The group nodded. "Do you need anything else from me?" Everyone shook their heads "Then I will take my leave. If you need anything just press the buttons in your rooms." With that she took off down the stairs.

Kagome yawned and her eyes were glossy.

"Kagome, why don't you go lay down." Sango said touching her shoulder.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea…" Kagome said walking back into her guest room and laying on the bed. Sango and Miroku tip toed out of the room.

"Kagome, will you be okay?" Inuyasha said "I want to go see what's up with Sesshomaru."

"Yeah," She said with another yawn "I'll be fine" She said closing her eyes and drifting to sleep. Inuyasha grabbed the blanket off the end of the bed and pulled it over her. He brushed her bangs out of her face and walked out.

Inuyasha walked into the hall and Sango and Miroku were both in their rooms sleeping. He shook his head grinning and shut the doors. He was also tired but couldn't rest until he figured out what was going on. He walked downstairs when he overheard his brother talking to the maid. He stopped to listen.

"But sir, I thought you hated your brother…?" She asked.

"I do, that hasn't changed." He said in his usual calm voice.

"Then why help him?"

"I am helping this girl he rescued." He said in an empty tone.

"Sir, I'm sorry, I'm still confused." She said clearly not understanding this new kind nature.

"The Hotel chain has been doing okay. But that's not good enough for me. If I get some publicity for helping this girl it could give us some serious profits." He explained. Inuyasha narrowed his eyes. He heard him flipping through papers. "Apparently this Naraku person has been beating and raping her for a while and she is trying to escape him. That makes a good story." Inuyasha's blood began to boil he wanted to charge down there and give his brother a piece of his mind but instead he went back upstairs into Miroku's room.

"Wake up" He said shaking him

"hmmm what…..?" Miroku said into his pillow pulling his other pillow above his head. Inuyasha took the pillow off his head and threw it down to the floor "WHAT?!" Miroku said turning over to him.

"This is all a scam! He lied to us!" Inuyasha said, Miroku sat up and raised an eyebrow. "This is all just a publicity stunt for him!" Inuyasha said pacing the floor.

Miroku folded his legs and rested his head in his palm looking at Inuyasha with half open eyes. "Is Kagome safe?"

"Well yeah…but"

"Are the rest of us safe?" Miroku continued

"Well yes, but!"

"But nothing, we need him for protection right now, so what if his hotels get some publicity at the same time?" Miroku asked

"I care! He's using us!" Inuyasha snapped.

"And we're using him! Who the hell cares?!" Miroku said

Inuyasha thought about it, Miroku had a point. This was the safest place for Kagome. That's what mattered. He heard someone in the hallway, he peaked out and saw Sesshomaru walking down the hall with a doctor "Make sure she is okay, any expense you find necessary, even slightly, I will cover." He opened Kagome's door and he and the doctor went in. Inuyasha stepped out into the hall, shutting Miroku's door and letting him go back to sleep. He walked into Kagome's room and watched the doctor do her checkup she woke up for a little bit then fell back asleep. The doctor was finished "She looks fine, I don't see anything but bumps, scrapes and bruises, the only thing to heal her is time." He said. Sesshomaru nodded and walked him out of Kagome's room.


	15. Ch 15 - New Guest

Ch 15– New Guest

It had been about three days since they arrived. They were all sitting at the table and Sesshomaru set down the paper and looked up at everyone. He took a sip of his coffee and said "There's been no news on Naraku. No one has found him but I have my best men looking. I will let you know when we find him." He took another sip and everyone exchanged worried looks. Kagome looked down at her plate. She was in a safe place, surrounded by friends, but she wouldn't feel truly safe until he was gone. Sesshomaru stood up to leave and turned to them again "I have another friend visiting, he will be staying in the other guest room. Do not bother him. He is here to work out a business deal." With that he left up stairs to what everyone assumed would be his room.

"How are you doing Kagome?" Sango asked she was worried about her friend and asked her every morning if she was okay.

"I'm fine" Same answer she gave her every day.

"I wonder who's coming…" Miroku said taking another bite of his eggs

"Who cares, it's probably just another big fancy CEO here to invest in his stupid hotels." Inuyasha said with a mouth full of bacon.

"What do y'all want to do today? This place is so big" Sango said looking around.

"You guys can go swimming with me!" Rin said as she finished her last bite of cereal.

"That sounds fun!" Kagome said smiling at her, she looked at everyone else "What do you say?" They all nodded in agreement smiling. They went upstairs to get dressed. Inuyasha knocked on Kagome's door.

"Kagome, you okay?" She had been in there for a while, everyone stood outside her door.

"You guys go ahead, I'll meet you down there." She called. They shrugged and Sango and Miroku went downstairs.

"You sure?" Inuyasha asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She called

"Okay, see you down there" He said and walked away.

Kagome looked in the mirror at herself. Her bruises were looking better and her scraps were starting to fade. She still looked bad but a lot better than before. She was in a swimsuit that Sango had packed for her. It fit her really well, she couldn't remember the last time she was in a swimsuit. It was a green bikini with white strings. She grabbed a towel off her bed and stepped out into the hall.

"Hi there,"

Kagome turned and looked at the new man in the hall, 'this must be Sesshomaru's friend', "Hi, my name is Kagome." She said holding out her hand. He took her hand in his and shook it.

"Hi, I'm Koga."

"You must be Sesshomaru's friend." She said twirling her finger in her hair nervously.

"Friend is a strong word," Koga laughed "I'm more like a business associate." He grinned.

Kagome laughed to herself, she was really nervous this guy was standing here starring at her. He had a long black ponytail and was really tan. He looked strong, although he was in a suit it was hard to tell.

"Well, I better go, my friends are waiting for me…" Kagome said walking past him.

Koga watched her walk away 'What's her story?' he thought to himself. Koga walked into his guest room. He stayed here once a year, for a weekend. This is when Sesshomaru and he would discuss their partnership. They both owned their own string of hotels but decided to partner up to make more profits. He set down his suitcase on the bed and walked to the window. From there he could see Kagome and her friends in the pool, they looked harmless enough, but why were they here. Sesshomaru was not the hospitable type, ironically.

A maid knocked on the door "Sir Koga? Sesshomaru is waiting for you in the business room." That is where their meetings always were. Koga walked over and opened the door.

"Sesshomaru usually sees me on Saturday, why does he want to see me today?"

The maid shrugged her shoulders and Koga rolled his eyes "Very well." He walked down stairs into the business room. Sesshomaru was sitting at the end of a long table with tall chairs. Koga took his seat at the other end of the table and set his briefcase down. "You wanted to see me a day early?"

"You are still welcome to stay the weekend if you wish, I just wanted to get this meeting out of the way. I have a lot to deal with right now." He said pulling a pen out of his coat.

Koga nodded, "I saw that, I met the girl that is staying with you. Are her friends staying as well?"

Sesshomaru nodded.

"That's so unlike you." Koga smirked.

"Yes well, that's one of the things I wanted to discuss. This girl has been through a traumatic past and I am helping to protect her. This means good publicity for my hotels." Sesshomaru said looking down at the paper in front of him.

"I see. So you have no emotional attachment to this girl?" Koga grinned.

"No, but I believe my brother does." He said turning the page of the packet.

"Oh I see, so…" Koga started.

Sesshomaru looked up and set the pen down "I have no interest in this woman or my brother, what happens with them romantically is not of my concern. Please can we stick to the contract renewal?" He picked the pen back up and continued reading the documents.

Koga nodded and the meeting continued.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kagome came outside and the others greeted her "Kagome, what took so long?" asked Sango.

"I met Sesshomaru's other guest." She said getting into the water.

"Oh yeah, who was it?" Miroku asked swimming over.

"His name was Koga, he was in a suit. Looked really serious." Kagome said floating on her back.

"Oh, Koga is really nice! He owns hotels too! Wolf something…" Rin said.

"You mean Lone Wolf hotels?" Sango asked.

"Yeah that's it!" She said, she was swimming around with water wings on.

"Who cares? Let's swim!" Inuyasha said running into the pool with a cannon ball.


	16. Ch 16 - That Night

Ch 16 – That Night

That night everyone was getting ready for bed. Inuyasha went into Kagome's room, "Hey how are you doing?"

"I wish everyone would stop asking me that…" She said looking down.

He got a worried look on his face and sat down on her bed "What do you mean?"

"I already feel like I've disrupted all of your lives. Every time someone asks me how I'm doing, it feels like if I don't say I'm okay, I'm letting you all down…"

"Kagome, it's not like that, we are just worried about you, that's all." Inuyasha said taking her hand.

"I don't need to be treated like glass. You all act like I'm about to break." Kagome looked down "I appreciate how much you all care about me, I just want to be okay on my own, you know?"

Inuyasha nodded, "I'm going to get in the shower and get ready for bed. If you need me, you know where I am." He got up and went into the hall.

A little while later there was a knock on the door, "Come in" Kagome asked.

Koga opened the door and walked in "Hey"

Kagome folded her legs and looked up at him "Hey" she said confused.

He walked in shutting the door behind him, we walked up to a chair in front of her vanity and sat down. "So you're friends with Sesshomaru's brother?"

Kagome nodded, he was making her nervous, the only men she felt really comfortable around was Inuyasha and Miroku.

"I've worked with him for years. I own the Lone Wolf Hotels, have you ever stayed there?" Koga said giving her a conceded grin.

Kagome shook her head. Koga looked surprised but shrugged it off and walked over and sat next to her on the bed.

"You are very pretty" He said reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. When his hand inched toward her face she flinched. He pulled his hand back down and got a worried look "I won't hurt you."

She looked up at him through her bangs with scared eyes.

"Sesshomaru told me about your past, that you're running from this guy. I want to help you," He took her hand "I can show you how gentle and kind a man can be." He inched slower to her, she slumped back nervous.

"What's going on here?!" Inuyasha said walking up to them, he grabbed Koga's hand and pulled it off of Kagome. "You keep your hand off of her!"

Koga pulled his hand away from Inuyasha "You must be Sesshomaru's brother." He stood up and looked at Kagome "Remember Kagome, I can show you what a man is" With that he walked out and Inuyasha slammed the door.

Kagome began to shake thinking Inuyasha must be furious with her.

"Did he hurt you?" Inuyasha said still angry

"No" Kagome shook her head.

Inuyasha took a deep breath, "Okay then." He went and sat next to her on the bed and held her hand "You're sure you're okay?" Kagome nodded. Inuyasha hugged her and then left the room to go to bed.

Kagome took a deep breath and climbed into bed.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-..-.-.-.-..-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I need a favor"

"I haven't seen you in years and you come here asking for a favor?" The woman asked condescendingly.

"I need help getting back what's mine." He narrowed his eyebrows.

The woman sat back in her seat and folder her hands under her chin "Tell me more"

"Remember that girl I stole?" He asked

She nodded her head "I remember, what about the little twat?"

"She ran off and I want her back." Naraku said in an eerie calm voice.

"Why, can't you just get a new one?" She asked

"Kagura, can you help me or not?" He said getting slightly aggravated. "Let's not forget the favor I did for you."

Kagura looked up and her body went cold. "Giving me back my freedom that you STOLE from me is hardly a favor!"

Naraku narrowed his eyes "Maybe I should take it back then."

Kagura narrowed her eyes.

"Or you can help me and I will continue to allow you to live free." Naraku said leaning back.

"Fine, but what do you want me to do?" Kagura asked folding her arms.

Naraku laughed "I want you to gather up some of our old friends. If they have a group, I want an army."

"That sounds like a good plan, with one dilemma, you don't have any friends." Kagura said with an evil grin.

Naraku stood up "I want you to gather the band of seven"

Kagura's eyes got wide, "They will not agree to help you!"

"They will if I promise them a cash reward. Tell them they can name their price." Naraku said walking out.


	17. Ch 17 - Step Forward

Ch 17 – Step Forward

Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha were sitting at the breakfast table when Koga walked in. He was wearing sweat pants with no shirt on, showing off his muscular body.

"Good morning Kagome" he said striding over to the coffee pot.

"Good morning Koga," Kagome said shyly taking a sip of her coffee.

Koga sat down at the table "I didn't get the pleasure of meeting the rest of you yesterday."

"I'm Sango, this is Miroku and Inuyasha." Sango said looking at him awkwardly. Although she was talking to him he didn't take his eyes off Kagome.

"So Kagome, would you like to get out of this house for a little bit?" Koga asked

"No, she would not" Everyone turned to see Sesshomaru walking in "I thought I made it very clear. Until Naraku is dealt with, Kagome stays here."

"Come on Sesshomaru, she's got to be going crazy here." Koga said glancing at Sesshomaru then back to Kagome.

All this starring was really starting to make Kagome feel uncomfortable. "I'm okay really."

Koga stood up with his coffee. "Well since I was invited to stay the weekend I think I will have a couple of my colleges stop by if that's alright Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru took a deep breath "Very well, however your stay is over Monday."

Koga nodded and left the room.

"Oh great, more of them." Inuyasha grumbled.

Sesshomaru's phone rang and he walked out of the room.

"Well, Koga seems friendly" Sango said sarcastically.

The gang continued making small talk and eating their breakfast.

Sesshomaru walked back into the room a moment later, he turned to Sango, "You are the one that is the best fighter right?"

Sango nodded "I supposed so…"

"Naraku is making his move. Apparently he and eight others are planning on ambushing. I don't think they know where you are but as I've said this is still the safest place for you." Sesshomaru said looking out the window.

"How do you know that he has made his move?!" Inuyasha asked.

"I have some very powerful friends in high places. I have eyes everywhere." Sesshomaru said inhaling deeply. "Like I said, everyone is to remain here." He turned to Sango "I would like you to keep a weapon on you at all times for inside close protection to Kagome."

Sango nodded, she wasn't doing it for him, but for Kagome.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in" Naraku said sitting on his hotel couch.

Kagura came in and sat down in front of him.

"So, what did they say?" He asked her with a nonchalant tone.

"They said you can suck it." Kagura said with a grin. Naraku eyes narrowed and she continued "However, when I said they could name their price, they changed their tune."

"What's their price?" Naraku asked relaxing back into the sofa.

"They want ten grand." Kagura said with a straight face.

"That's all?" Naraku asked surprised by the low number.

"Each" She said smirking.

Naraku pondered this and then nodded "Very well, ten grand each. Once I have Kagome in my possession they will have their money. However for such a high price I expect them to fight to the death."

Kagura nodded "I will let them know."

Naraku waved his hand "You may leave, that's all."

Kagura stood up and walked out.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Alright, if Naraku is getting an army we need to be prepared." Sango said. They were outside with targets and weapons. "I want you to try all of these and pick the one you feel most comfortable with and use it. I want your weapon to become an extension of your body."

Everyone nodded. They looked at the weapons Sango laid out on the table in front of them. A bow and arrows, a sword, guns, boomerang blades, and knives.

-.-.-.-.-..-.-.-.-

Koga was looking down out of his window at the group of friends training. There was a knock on his door. "Come in."

"Hi Koga!"

"We're really happy you invited us here with you!"

His two assistants came walking in and up to the window.

"Ginta, Hakkaku, you see the beautiful girl down there? The one in the skirt?" Koga said not taking his eyes off her. They both nodded "I am going to make her mine."

Ginta and Hakkaku looked at her and then to Koga. "That's great Koga!" Ginta said smiling.

"What's she like?" Hakkaku asked sitting on the bed.

"I haven't the slightest idea. She's been through quite an ordeal and Sesshomaru is going to use her story as a publicity stunt for his hotels. If she belongs to me, it will look good for Lone Wolf Hotels."

Ginta and Hakkaku exchanged worried looks "Okay…."

"Hey Koga," Hakkaku said looking out the window "It looks like that blonde boy likes her…"

Koga walked back up to the window. He saw Inuyasha helping her hold a sword. "That could be a minor setback…."

"Well," Ginta started "What are they doing?..."

"I guess there is this guy coming to fight them all or something. I'm not sure." Koga shrugged.

"His name is Naraku." They all turned to see Sesshomaru in the door way "And you won't be able to have her if this Naraku takes her first."

Sesshomaru filled him in on everything he learned about Kagome and Naraku's past based on the reports from police and the hospital. Koga's heart started to race, and he thought he was cold hearted… this guy sounded like the worst kind of person.


	18. Ch 18 - Training

Ch 18 - Training

"Okay have you all picked your weapons?" Sango asked

"Not quite." Koga said walking up to the table.

Everyone turned to see Koga and the other two. They were in workout clothes, Koga was even wearing a sweat band.

"What the hell are y'all doing here?" Inuyasha asked stepping in front of Kagome.

"We're here to help," Koga said standing up straight and confident

"I don't think so!" Inuyasha snapped

"Inuyasha stop, we need all the help we can get. We are already out numbered nine to four. These at least helps level the playing field." Sango interjected.

"Fine" Inuyasha rolled his eyes and the seven of them continued training.

Finally they were all standing in a row before Sango. She was holding her boomerang blade. It was about half her height and the entire thing was made of steel except for the middle bar for her to hold. All the edges were shaved down to a blade. She spun around holding it, it slowly rose with her arm and she stopped spinning and let go, it took off spinning and cut her target in half and came spinning back and she caught it with ease. "There, now I want each of you to hit your target."

Inuyasha was next he drew his sword and ran and jumped into the air, landing with his sword slicing down the center of his target. He walked back to the lineup and Sango nodded at him with a smile.

Next up was Miroku, he pulled out his knives and started throwing them, most of them landed in the center and a few on the outside of the target and two on the ground. Sango nodded again "Keep practicing"

Kagome walked up next and pulled back on her bow and let the arrow fly. Dead center. She did it three more times, all perfectly center.

Ginta walked up next he also had knives, he tossed them strategically, most of them landed center, one landed outside the center. "Very good!" Sango said.

Hakkaku came out next and had a gun he aimed and fired. He hit the target all but twice. Sango nodded and then looked to Koga.

Koga walked up with no weapon. He walked up and punched the target, ripping it in half.

"Okay, that's hardly fair." Inuyasha said "Anyone can walk up and punch a piece of paper."

"I don't need a weapon I have the best martial arts training available." Koga said crossing his arms with his nose in the air.

"Let's move on, now combat training" Sango said, "Hakkaku because you are using a gun do not use it during combat training. Miroku I think you would be better suited with a gun, you did good at the shooting range with it. You two follow me. The rest of you practice."

Inuyasha pointed his sword at Koga "You think your special training can beat a sword?"

"You're on" Koga said and the two of them began to fight.

"I guess that leaves us two" Kagome said to Ginta.

They continued to practice while Sango took Miroku and Hakkaku a safe distance away. She set up wooden targets set up on moving bars. "Practice shooting at a moving target" She said.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Sesshomaru looked down at them train from his bedroom window.

"Dad, are you going to go fight too?" Rin said walking into his room.

Sesshomaru turned around and picked her up and sat on the bed with her. "Do you think I should?"

"I think you are the toughest guy ever! No one can beat you daddy!" Rin said with a big smile, then she looked down "Will Kagome be okay?"

Sesshomaru looked down in slight surprise "Do you like Kagome?"

Rin nodded, "Yes! Her and her friends are very nice, I don't want anything to happen to them."

Sesshomaru nodded, "Maybe I should help them then."

Rin smiled and hugged her dad.


	19. Ch 19 - Someone Make a Move

Ch 19 – Someone Make a Move

Koga was in his room with Ginta and Hakkaku, the two assistance were extremely tired from the training. "Tomorrow is Monday Koga, Sesshomaru wanted us out, are we going to stay in a nearby hotel? For the fight I mean?"

"No, I am extending your stay." Sesshomaru said in the doorway

Ginta and Hakkaku jumped at surprise, Koga, however, was used to Sesshomaru's interruptions.

"Since you are going to help in the battle with Naraku, I will extend your stay."

"For how long?" Ginta asked

"For as long as I see fit." Sesshomaru said walking away.

"It's creepy how he just lurks in doorways like that." Hakkaku said turning to Koga.

Koga shrugged, he figured it was Sesshomaru's house so he can do as he pleases.

"We just need to focus on the battle and getting Kagome to be my woman." Koga said relaxing back into his bed.

Ginta frowned, he spend the past two days training with Kagome and he liked her a lot. She was nice and kind and clearly her heart belonged to Inuyasha. She was so sweet he hated to think of her being used as a ploy for publicity. However, Koga was his boss, his means of living and he needed to follow his boss's orders.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The next day Kagome woke up and went to Sango's room, she softly knocked on the door.

"Come in" Sango said, Kagome walked in and smiled at her. She shut the door behind herself and walked up to her bed and sat down. "What's up Kagome?"

"I just wanted to talk to you….about Inuyasha…." Kagome said looking down and playing with her fingers.

Sango sat up smiling "Reeeaaallllyyyy" she wiggled with excitement "you liiiiiiike him!" she sang.

Kagome's cheeks went pink and her hands "I think I do…. I've never liked anyone like that before….what if he doesn't like me…."

Sango rolled her eyes "He is head over heels for you!"

Kagome looked up with wide eyes "Really? How do you know?!"

Sango shrugged "I can just tell, he always helps you, is always starring at you, and he trips over his words when he's around you."

Kagome got a small grin "So Miroku likes you too!"

Sango was now the one to blush "WHAT?! NO!" she said waving her hands

"Yes!" Kagome said giggling and then she took a big sigh. "But if he likes me, why hasn't he made a move yet?"

"If you like him, why haven't you made a move?" Sango said raising an eyebrow.

"Okay…. You got me." Kagome laughed.

"What about Koga?" Sango asked

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked confused

"He's been watching you and flirting. And he, unlike Inuyasha, has been laying it on thick." Sango said tilting her head toward Kagome.

Kagome thought back to the past days of training and her eyes widened "Oh my gosh, I didn't even realize!"

Sango giggled, "Why don't you go talk to Inuyasha, tell him how you feel."

Kagome smiled and stood up "You're right Sango, thank you" Kagome left the room and Sango smiled watching her leave.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kagome was walking down stairs and heard Inuyasha talking with someone, it was Koga. She stopped to listen.

"Why would she be interest in you? I have money and I can give her anything she wants." Koga said in a cocky tone.

"That's not Kagome! You don't even know her!" Inuyasha snapped

"I don't need to. I want her as my woman. She's about to be in the papers like crazy and I deserve her." Koga said folding his arms.

"ENOUGH"

Both boys turned to see Kagome standing at the bottom of the stair case.

"That's enough." She said walking up to Koga. She looked him straight in the eye and SLAP!

Koga froze and then touched the new red mark on his cheek. He turned to Kagome in surprise.

"All my life, I have been treated like a piece of property! Not anymore! Not by anyone!" Kagome said with her hands on her hips.

Koga blinked in surprise.

"I am not your woman and I never will be." She pointed to Inuyasha "I love him, understand?!"

Koga nodded.

Inuyasha's heart was flipping. He'd never seen Kagome take charge like that! It was amazing, and did she just say that she loves him?! Kagome turned to face him. Koga was still starring at her in surprise, but it didn't matter. He knew where her heart lied. Now he did. Kagome walked over to him slowly.

"Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into a big warm hug and gave her a passionate kiss. He pulled back slightly "I love you too." And then continued to kiss her.

Koga blinked a few more times then went upstairs.


	20. Chapter 20 - Special Delivery

Chapter 20

A/N: I know it been a while since I continued this story but I plan on finishing it today. School starts in a week and I want to finish all my unfinished fanfictions and upload some new ones I have saved on my laptop. It been a crazy year with marriage, pregnancy to miscarriage, infertility, adopting a new puppy, being in my sisters wedding, etc. Life happened and in 2016 it happened hard, but here is the long awaited finale of Bruises on a Woman, thank you for your patience.

Refresher: InuYasha was a carefree young boy working on a farm with his best friend Miroku. He met a girl named Kagome and found out she had been beaten and raped by her "Godfather", which we later found out was not her Godfather but her kidnapper. When Kagome was 3 her parents were attacked and she was taken by Naraku. For years she was his captive and suffered greatly. Sango was the daughter of the owner of the farm Miroku and InuYasha worked at. She is also a great defense artist and had incredible weaponry skills, even taught the others to shoot. The four of them were on the run since Miroku and InuYasha saved Kagome from Naraku, however, he followed them all the way to a motel on the beach where he took Kagome once again. Cops were called when Kagome screamed for help, she was finally able to fight back. Naraku knocked her out and fled the motel. InuYasha and Miroku came and untied Kagome just as the police showed up and were detained being accused of attacking her. While at the police station InuYasha called his estranged brother Sesshomaru for their bail money (which was 3K). Sesshomaru owns a chain of Hotels and is incredibly wealthy. Sesshomaru decided to take control of this rescue mission by keeping her at his estate. Sesshomaru adopted Rin at a young age and gave her a home, Rin really likes all the guests that came to stay with them. Kouga, owner of Lone Wolf Hotels, came to stay a few days after the gang had settled in to sign an annual agreement with Sesshomaru about their hotel partnership. Sesshomaru revealed he was helping the group of friends for publicity for his hotels. Kouga took an immediate interest in Kagome, believing a relationship with the poor girl would give his hotels more publicity, he then invited Ginta and Hakkaku to join for the fight. Naraku teamed up with Kagura and assembled the band of seven together to take down the entire clan protecting Kagome. Kagome finally stood up for herself to Kouga and pronounced her love on InuYasha and the two finally kissed.

Chapter 20 – Special Delivery.

It had been about a week and they continued training every day, switching weapons and doing hand to hand combat. Kouga, though he gave up on truly obtaining Kagome had grown fond of her and her friends and decided to stay. (And him helping in the fight would still be good publicity even if he didn't get the girl) Kagome was down stairs doing hand to hand combat practice with Sango, at this point InuYasha and Kagome were officially a couple thanks to Sango. Sango and Miroku were still flirting but not officially together.

"What do we do after we defeat Naraku?" Sango asked ducking a kick from Kagome.

Kagome's leg came down and she leaned back dodging and punch from Sango, "What do you mean? He'll either die or go to jail." Kagome put her hands up in a T formation signaling a timeout and grabbed her water bottle.

"Well yeah," Sango said panting and grabbing her bottle. "But I mean US, all four of us…."

"I assume we go back to your village and continue living as normal a life as we can." Kagome shrugged picking up a hand towel and dabbing the sweat off her face.

"Well, we could…" Sango said doing the same with her small towel. "But, I was thinking, I don't think all this training should go to waste."

"Waste? We're gonna defeat Naraku! How is that a waste?" Kagome said looking confused.

"Well, I mean I know why we're training, but when we get back to the village I just think that well, we should do something with our new talent!" Sango said cheerfully.

"Fighting is a talent?" Kagome posed

"Not 'fighting'" she said doing a silly low voice on the word 'fighting', "defense! We could do a defense class!"

"Oh, I don't know Sango…." Kagome tried to think of a reason it was a bad idea but couldn't think of one. "Let's just focus on this and when we get back to the village we can figure it out."

Sango shrugged and they got up and continued their practice.

Inside, InuYasha was watching TV when the girls finally came in from training. "Hey Kagome," He said turning quickly away from the television screen. "Have fun?"

"I'm exhausted!" She said smiling at him "I think I'm gonna shower then just go rest in my room.

"Make sure you stretch before you lay down!" Sango called up the stairs to her, when Kagome was up Sango turned to go into the kitchen. She grabbed a banana and sat on the couch next to InuYasha and Miroku "What are you watching?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Kagome went into the bathroom that the four of them shared, looked at all the tooth brushes, the pile of Sango's make-up and hair products she was generous enough to share with Kagome, she saw the laundry basket half full of clothes (which the maids always took care of before it even got near to full). It was like they were all roommates. She thought about Sango's question from earlier. What would she do when they got back to their village? Kagome had no life there, she loved InuYasha and didn't want to leave him, but he lived with Miroku in a small hut. There wasn't enough room for her without it being uncomfortable for everyone. She didn't have any job experience or money, how would she find work? Maybe teaching defense wasn't such a bad idea. It was something she enjoyed, finally feeling in control of herself. She undressed and turned on the water, stepping in slowly, as the water ran down her naked body she felt all the aches from her training. She continued to think about what the village would be like, she never really saw it, when she was there she was unconscious and at the hospital when she woke up only to flee the village soon after. After washing her body and hair she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in a warm fluffy towel. She would miss the luxurious life style that Sesshomaru provided but she'd better without people taking care of her every need. The servants, although charming and helpful, made Kagome uncomfortable, she didn't like to be waited on.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

There was a knock on the door as Ginta walked downstairs to the kitchen, he looked over and saw Sango, Miroku and InuYasha asleep on the couch "lazy bums" he said walking over to the door. He looked through the eye hole and saw a man in a white coat with a clip board. He picked up the knife on the end table next to the door and opened it slightly. "Who are you?"

"Yes sir, my name is Suikotsu, and Sesshomaru ordered for me and my colleague Mukotsu to care for the patient Kagome." He said bowing as a sign of respect.

"Oh yeah, she's upstairs, center door on the left side." He said opening the door to the two doctors. Sesshomaru was out for two days on business and would be back tomorrow night. Surely he asked these doctors to come and check on her well-being with the pending fight coming. After they came in and went up the stairs he grabbed a soda and went outside for a nighttime swim.

The two doctors walked down the hall and opened the door slightly knocking on it as it opened "Kagome?"

Kagome was on the floor stretching "Yeah? Come in." she said confused

"Ms. Kagome, my name is Suikotsu and this is my assistant Mukotsu, we are here to check your vitals." He said opening a suit case, figures that Sesshomaru would ask doctors to check on her. She sat on her bed and held out her arm for the blood pressure pump. Suikotsu grabbed her head and covered her mouth with a damp rag, before she could register what was happening she felt herself falling into a drug induced sleep. Mukotsu took out a long needle and jabbed it into her neck with a wicked smile.

"That money is as good as ours! Call Renkotsu and let him know we'll be carrying her down soon." Mukotsu said. Suikotsu nodded and picked up his phone, Mukotsu walked into the hall and peered into the rooms around them the doors were open and no one was in any of them. He then leaned his hear against the door next to Kagome's which was closed. He heard snoring coming from at least three people. He went down stairs and Suikotsu looked over the railing still keeping one eye on Kagome. Mukotsu saw everyone asleep on the couch he looked up and signaled for him to bring her down. Suikotsu picked her up and started to walk her down the stairs. They got outside and put her in the back of a shady looking van that had a medical cross on it.

"That was fast" Bonkotsu said from the drivers seat.

"It was easy, you were right, they were all training so they were all nice and knocked out from exhaustion" Suikotsu said.

"She's ugly, why does Naraku want her?" Jakotsu said bitterly at the girl passed out in the back of the van. Jakotsu was dressed in tight skinny jeans, which showed off his studded platform heels and a flamboyant floral top with circus colored make up, and hair with pink and blonde highlights in his raven locks. This girl looked so plain and boring, why all this fuss over her?

"Remember that girl Kimi? The one Naraku was obsessed with a long time ago?" Bonkotsu asked still looking at the road.

"Yeah?" Jakotsu responded still looking at the plain girl.

"Well, his love for her was more of an obsession. The more she turned him down the more he needed to have her." His eyes narrowed and he continued his story

*Flashback*

"Hey Kimi!" Naraku said following her down the market isles in the village.

"Hello Naraku." She said gracefully, paying for a bag of pears and adding them to her basket of purchased food.

"You buying stuff for your mother's stew?" he asked

"Yeah, but she didn't give me enough for the rice. I'll have to go back and get some more money." She said looking into her basket and into her empty coin purse.

"Don't worry about it" He said walking over to the rice counter. He was talking to the man and pointed at some grains of rice on the shelf behind him and as he turned around Naraku took a sack of rice from the counter top and turned back to Kimi. "Here you go" he grinned.

She looked at him with disapproval and took the sack and placed it back on the man's counter before he turned back around and she walked away.

"Kimi!" he said calling after her.

"No, Naraku stealing is wrong. That man works hard to provide the rice for our village." She said turning to him.

"I'm sorry, I just want to help you." He said getting closer to her. "I love you"

"Naraku, you don't love me. You don't even know me." She said putting a hand on his shoulder. "Besides I am spoken for. I love Tashi." She rubbed his arm and turned to walk away.

Naraku watched her walk away from him feeling rejected "You will be mine." He said under his breath.

*End Flashback*

"What a bitch" Jakotsu said turning to face the road as well.

"How do you know this?" Bankotsu said in the back. He was the leader and usually the quietest one, wanting to observe before making any moves.

"Kagura. Naraku told her everything." Renkotsu answered. Everyone in the van looked confused (Besides the still passed out Kagome.) He sighed and started to explain. "When Kimi and Tashi married Naraku was angry and start to see another girl from the village. Kagura." Everyone knew that Kagura and Renkotsu were a couple but no one knew anything of her history.

"NO!" Jakostu said now perking up "See now it's getting juicy!"

"Well, as you can imagine, their relationship became abusive. It went from two thieves in love to a sick twisted relationship of control. She finally escaped by helping him in his ultimate crime. Double homicide and child abduction. Kimi planned a fishing trip with her husband and three year old daughter, the entire village knew because of how excited she was to take her on her first fishing trip. When they got there they were loading the boat. Kagura shot Tashi straight in the heart and Kimi screamed in fear picking up her daughter…

*Flash back*

"WHO ARE YOU?!" Kimi screamed at this strange woman who shot her husband.

Naraku came out of the shadows smiling evilly at her. "You said if it wasn't for Tashi we could be together. Now he's gone and we can be together."

Kagura put her gun in her holster knowing the defenseless family was going to cause her no harm, and leaned against a tree.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I SAID" she screamed, Kagome was crying this whole time, calling out for her father.

Naraku came closer to her "Everything is okay, I have a house outside the village, we can live there with our daughter."

"She is NOT OUR daughter!" She said putting down Kagome and standing in front of her. "And you will NOT come near us!" she stood there trembling.

Kagura was watching the entire thing carelessly. She stopped showing emotion a long time ago when Naraku broke her.

Naraku came closer to her and touched her arm, to which Kimi started hitting and kicking him. "KAGOME RUN! GO TO KAEDE'S!"

Naraku looked at the little girl take off running and looked to Kagura "Go get her!" Kagura kicked off the tree and took after the child. Kimi continued to kick and scream, someone would hear her. He covered her mouth and tried to shush her but nothing was working so he slapped her. It felt so good to hit the person that rejected him, he did it again, and again. Slaps turned into punching. Until Kimi was laying lifeless on the ground.

Kagura ran through the forest and finally caught up with the little girl, as Kagura picked her up she started to cry "please let me go! Don't hurt me!" Kagura's heart felt for her, but she was good at numbing out her emotions. She carried her all the way back to the bay where the attack had taken place. She saw Kimi laying lifeless next to Tashi, "You killed her?"

"She wouldn't stop yelling, I started hitting her and I couldn't stop." All emotion gone from his once passionate (although psychotic) voice.

"So what do we do with the brat?" she said looking at the girl who was quietly shaking in her arms.

"Give her to me" He said holding his arms out. Kagura placed the girl in his arms, she looked so much like her mother, same hair, same eyes. But she was the product of Kimi choosing another. "I'm going to take her."

"You're gonna take her?" she questioned. The child had to be no more than three and was probably more than Naraku knew how to care for.

"Do you have your knife?" He asked.

"Of course" She said pulling it out of her pocket and opening the blade.

"I want you to mangle their bodies, make it look like an animal attack." He said walking away.

"What about the girl? Everyone knows they have a kid, she'll be looked for." Kagura said making him stop in his tracks. Naraku thought for a moment and then undressed the child and tossed the clothes to Kagura. "Um….."

"Rip apart the clothes and get blood on them so they will believe she was eaten by the animal." He said taking the naked toddler back to his home. "Your debt to me is done. A deal is a deal, you are free of me once you finish this final task." With that he left and Kagura started to rip apart the clothes and slash into the lifeless bodies.

*End Flashback*

"Whoa," Jakotsu said, being speechless for the first time in his life.

They pulled into a hotel nearby and pulled her out of the car. As they were walking up to their room where Naraku and the others were waiting they continued their conversation.

"I can't believe Naraku actually loved someone once, that's still getting to me!" Jakotsu said with a deep breath

"Yeah well he doesn't like to talk about it so don't mention it if you want to live." He warned.

As they entered the elevator and the doors closed on them with the girl, a man at the front desk picked up the phone and pressed a single button. "I have information on Naraku"


	21. Chapter 21 - Finale

Chapter 21 – Finale

Kagome woke up but didn't open her eyes, she remembered what happened right before she passed out, she was ambushed. She listened and hear voices a small way away from her, she lightly opened her eyes and saw she was in a bedroom and the voices were coming from the living room of wherever they were.

"We delivered the girl, now where is our money?!" Bonkotsu shouted

"I will give it to you in time, I don't have that kind of money on me." Naraku said plainly.

"Are you kidding?!" Bonkostu yelled louder.

It was then that Kagome noticed someone else in the room with her, it was a woman who looked vaguely familiar. The woman just smiled and lightly laughed at the conversation going on outside. As the men shouted Kagura got close to Kagome and whispered "I'm so sorry for everything he did. I had to bring you here for my safety but I am leaving, I won't tie you up and leave a gun on the nightstand. Good luck." Then there was smashing coming from the living room "that's my que" She said. She had a rope tied to her waist and tied the other end to a metal bar in the room. After a few safety tugs she put two fingers to her brow and saluted Kagome with a wink and scaled down the building.

Kagome looked at the gun and picked it up and starred at the door.

"We're gonna come back tomorrow and you better have our money! If you take off we WILL track you down!" Bonkotsu yelled as they all stormed out.

Kagome to a deep breath and was shaking. She heard Naraku walking around and getting closer to the door. _Don't be afraid of the gun, be afraid of what you're shooting. Both eyes open, feet planted firmly on the ground._ Sango's voice ran through Kagome's mind. She slid off the bed and planted her feet firmly on the ground and held up the door pointing it at the door. _Don't be afraid of the gun, be afraid of what you're shooting._ The door opened BANG! Naraku's eyes were open wide and he fell backwards.

Kagome looked at him in shock and then at the gun in her hand. She walked up to him and saw the blood pouring out of the hole she created in his forehead. She smiled and put the gun down on the dresser and picked up the phone, the only number she knew was 9-1-1.

"Hello, my name is Kagome Higurashi and I'm at a hotel, I was kidnapped" She explained, the operator asked which hotel and she looked around for a sign of where she was and saw a note pad next to the phone that said "Sesshomaru Hotels, Thank you for your business." She smiled and told her where she was.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

InuYasha woke up to the phone ringing he looked around and saw Ginta going after it "DON'T" He called

"What?" Ginta asked confused, still tired himself.

"Sesshomaru doesn't want anyone answering his phone or his door." He said stretching trying to wake up.

"Oh, Oops" Ginta said walking away.

"Oops?" InuYasha questioned, Sango and Miroku were now also waking up.

"Well, I opened the door last night but it was just doctors for Kagome." He said shrugging.

"Doctors?" Sango asked looking worriedly at InuYasha and Miroku.

The three of them ran up the stairs, InuYasha leading the way. They got to Kagome's room and saw she was gone, they proceeded to search the house shouting her name helplessly.

"DAMNIT!" InuYasha yelled punching the wall.

"Whaaaaaat is all the noise about?" Kouga said coming out of his room grumpily.

"Kagome's been nabbed, again." Miroku explained.

"What?" He said pulling out his phone "Give me a minute" he walked back into his room "Sesshomaru, these morons allowed Kagome to be kidnapped!"

"You are also to blame, I left her in all of your protection." He said flatly.

"You seem pretty calm! She could be dead!" He said surprised by Sesshomaru's coldness.

"She's fine. I'm on my way to see her now." He said still calm.

"What?!" he shouted and everyone came into his room to see what was going on.

"She killed him, the police are there now. It's at the hotel nearest to my house, dumbass was stupid enough to stay at one of my hotels under a different name. Someone alerted me he was there but by the time I got the police to go there, I was getting calls about a gun shot in the hotel. I thought he had just shot her but then she called the police. I'm pulling in now, you can all meet me here but stay outside the hotel because it's now a crime scene." He hung up the phone and looked at the group starring at him waiting for answers.

"She's alive" He smiled, InuYasha took a huge breath and everyone else also relaxed.

"Where is she?" InuYasha said feeling anxious.

"Let's get into my car, she's at your brother's hotel." He said walking out.

"Um, Kouga, there's only four seats in your sports car…" Hakkaku said awkwardly. Him and Ginta had also become quite fond of Kagome and wanted to see her too.

"That's okay, we'll follow you in Miroku's car" InuYasha said wanting to go as soon as possible.

They all got into the cars and sped off. When they pulled up they saw Kagome sitting on a bench being looked at by paramedics. InuYasha ran as fast as he could to her "KAGOME!" She sprang up and ran into his arms, he hugged her tight spinning her around and kissing her passionately, he was so grateful she was safe.

"What happened?" Sango asked catching up to him, Kagome let go of InuYasha and hugged her friend tightly.

"Thank you!" Kagome said squeezing her tighter.

"For?" Sango said trying to breathe.

"I did everything you said, I wasn't afraid, I pulled the trigger." She then turned to see everyone looking at her "He's dead." Everyone burst into cheers

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

After the crime scene was examined and everything was settled, the four friends traveled back to their village. Kagome and InuYasha got their own place together, Sango moved in with Miroku two months later after they became serious. Sango and Kagome's School of Defense was very profitable, they made sure every man, woman, and child, was able to defend themselves. Kouga finally found a girl that he found extremely attractive and she found him extremely rich. It was superficial but it worked for the two of them. Eventually Sesshomaru found a woman as well and Rin loved her like a mother. The group still sees Sesshomaru from time to time, usually birthdays and holidays.

And everyone lived happily ever after.

A/N: Okay corny ending, so sue me. All characters borrowed from InuYasha blah blah blah, no copy right infringement. Let me know what you think. Like I said last chapter I will try to finish all my unfinished stories this week. (But no promises.)


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